


Tales of Wartime Intermissions

by BlandProtagonist



Series: Tales of Wartime Intermissions [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Black Paladin Keith, F/M, Gen, I CALLED IT BOIIIIII, I promise, MY CH2 THEORY IS ACTUALLY CANON??????, There's a plot, black paladin lance, operation vp6, pidgance, plance, voltron theories are hidden in there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-23 10:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 50,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16157093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlandProtagonist/pseuds/BlandProtagonist
Summary: After defeating Sendak, the Galaxy Garrison houses the paladins and attempts to expand the Voltron coalition before the next attack. Veronica and Hunk bond over teasing Matt about Pidge's 'feelings for Lance', causing him to become more curious about what's she's hiding in her diary; meanwhile the pair themselves are confiding in each other and battling their own emotions in silence. Behind the scenes, Keith devises a Black paladin fail-safe operation that leaves Lance as the head of Voltron and adds another paladin into the mix - all while keeping Lance himself in the dark.Who's VP6? Can everyone keep them a secret? Will Matt actually give in to peer pressure and read his little sister's diary? Will Hunk and Veronica ever mind their own business?? (No). Will Keith ever stop being so emo and talking about his possible death???? (Also no).Really though, guys, I'm putting a lot of work into this - I promise it's good. Lots of PLANCE my dudes.There's also now an index for this storyhere!





	1. Blood and Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica and Matt bond over their paladin siblings and exchange a few words regarding Lance and Pidge's 'relationship' after seeing the two of them together.

     "Lance isn't dumb. He's actually pretty observant."

     "I know, I know. I'm just telling you what I heard from Pidge."

 

     Veronica adjusted her glasses but didn't look up from her computer. "He's really trusting, Holt. If Pidge said 'I'm a boy' then Pidge was a boy, simple as that. He had no reason to think otherwise. He's typically a good judge of character, so he trusts his first impression of someone and it's hard to get him to change his mind. That's why he sees Shiro as someone to look up to rather than the equal Shiro treats him as."

     "Shiro treats everyone as an equal as far as I've seen. Even in combat. He could hate someone with every inch of his body and still shake their hand at the end of the day. Metaphorically speaking, anyway. We aren't ever really given the chance lately."

     "You make him sound aggressive. I heard Lance call him "Space Dad" the other day. It's almost surreal that the man who lost his arm in a gladiator ring and the guy that fell asleep on the floor in the mess hall are one and the same."

     "Speaking of which, let's head down there now. We might me able to catch Pidge and Lance before they leave again."

 

     Matt and Veronica had bonded rather quickly upon Matt's arrival with the rebel forces. Before the Kerberos mission, they'd worked together under Commander Holt, but it wasn't until now that they'd really paid each other any mind. They once again worked side by side with the Commander, and with Veronica's knowledge of the Garrison's advancements, and Matt's knowledge of the alien tech and beings, the two made a great team. They often partnered up when Lance and Pidge were not available for ground missions. They talked of their family often, but lately it had evolved into several minutes of defending Lance from Matt's bragging of Pidge. She knew he meant nothing by it, she liked to brag on her brother at times too, but something about everyone underestimating him was growing incredibly aggravating.

     The pair walked the busy Garrison halls, passing by engineers talking needlessly loud about the integrated tech they were working on, as well as open doors leading to new cadets' rooms. Since the battle against Sendak had been won, the Garrison became much more exclusive in terms of their recruits. Entry exams had been made more difficult, and physical exams had more requirements. That didn't deter anyone from attempting to get in, but the incoming wave of cadets was rather thin compared to previous years. Had these measures been in place when the now-Paladins had tried to enroll, there was a good chance they would have been turned away.

     "Do you think it's wise to keep taking in recruits? The war isn't over, but the possibility of deploying these kids..." Matt looked from face to face as they passed, wondering if the age restriction has changed, too.

     "It's war. We do what we have to for the good of the entire planet. It would be wrong of us not to educate our people on how to defend themselves, or to deny their right to protect their home."

     "I supposed that's true... But we have intergalactic reinforcements, too. Experienced soldiers."

     "Experience has nothing on proper motivation. The fact Katie found you so far out in space proves that. You shouldn't second guess the will power of a man who has something worth defending."

 

     The mess hall was empty, save for a few gaggles of whispering cadets and a trio of familiar faces clad in white armor. The Red, Green, and Black Paladins sat at a long table near the center of the Mess. Keith spoke, gesturing with his hands and leaning over an empty plate. Across from him, Lance pointed at him with his fork and said something in response causing Pidge, to his right, to nearly choke on her food. The latter two laughed and high-fived, and he spotted the approaching pair first.

     "Veronica, Matt, hey!"

     Matt gave a small wave, heading off for a plate of food. Veronica sat next to Keith, just across from Pidge, and used Lance's spoon to steal a bite of his food. He blocked her second attempt with his fork.

     "Have you guys checked in with the Yellow and Blue Lions recently?" She made a playful jab at his hand.

     Keith stood, lifting his plate, "Actually, they should be calling in in another varga or two. You're welcome to join us when we get the transmission. If anyone needs me until then I'll either be in Ground Control or the Black hangar. I'll leave my comm on." He scooped his helmet in his other arm, throwing out his trash on his way out of the Mess.

     "So, why the armor? Did you just get back from training or something?"

     Her little brother flashed a dazzling smile,"Showin' off for the new recruits, running a few flight drills to show 'em how it's done, and as always, exceeding the fans' expectations."

     Pidge elbowed him. "You can hardly consider them your fans. They're just glad someone else is going to be on the front lines the next time we're attacked."

     "No way, they were definitely cheering for us."

     "Yeah, because we saved their butts. We might be their heroes, but it's not like-"

     A young cadet tapped Lance on the shoulder. She bashfully asked for a photo with the Red Paladin, her favorite Paladin, she added, and naturally he didn't disappoint. After a few shots, she returned to her table, giggling with her friends.

     "Sorry, Pidge, what was it you were saying again?" He beamed. She stabbed her fork into her food.

     "Forget it."

     "Hey, I can't help that I'm a natural charmer."

     "You've got about as much charm as Nunvil has flavor."

     "Nunvil has lots of flavor, just not the good kind."

     "And how does that invalidate my analogy?"

     "Aren't  _you_  the one that called me cute back on the Dalterian Belt?"

     "I was comparing you to a Yalmor. That's hardly the same thing."

     "No no no, no. You specifically said -"

     "I said the Yalmor was cute."

     "Cute like me."

     "Cute in a creepy, ugly, hideous sort of way."

     "Admit it, Pidge. You think I'm cute."

     "Over my cold, dead corpse."

     "Gee, when's the wedding?" Veronica cut in, with her signature flattened sarcasm. Lance kicked her under the table and Pidge rolled her eyes, but they both had a faint hint of a blush across their cheeks.

     Matt returned, setting a plate in front of Veronica and then himself, sitting in the place Keith had been minutes earlier. 

     "What's with you two?"

     "Nothing," they said in unison.

     He and Veronica shared a sly look, laughing to themselves under their breath.

  
     "So," he said, lifting his fork, "any news from the Balmera?"

     His sister shook her head. "Nothing new, at least not today. Hunk and the princess haven't checked in, and we haven't heard anything from Coran, either, though that's understandable. They're so far out, it's hard to imagine even the Lions' signals to reach this far. Last we heard, they nearly had all the crystals we need, but they may be stopping by Arus as well."

     "What about the Balmerans? Are they coming back?"

     "Shay, definitely. I think it's safe to say she and Hunk will be fairly inseparable. Rax, I'm not sure. He might stay, but there's also a good chance he'll stick with Shay."

     "And the princess?"

     "Out of your league." She snickered.

     "Not what I meant, Short-stack." He flicked a bit of food at her, but in good nature.

     "~ _Lance, come in._ ~" The Red Paladin lifted his helmet onto his head with one hand.

     "Yeah?"

     "~ _We got a transmission coming in. It's Allura. I'm still in Ground Control, but it's probably best to take this straight to the Lions in case of any sensitive information, so I'll need you to handle it. I'll meet you in the Red hangar when I'm done here._ ~"

     "Roger that, Team Leader." He nodded to Pidge, and the two took off, not bothering to deal with their plates.

     Their siblings, they'd left sitting together, eating quietly; suddenly acutely aware of just how many of the people in the mess hall were whispering about them. No one approached them, but it was obvious they'd considered it. The Paladins had become worldwide celebrities of a sort, but while the Holts were all brought into the limelight, Lance had done his best to keep the McClains hidden from view - not out of embarrassment or anything like that, but out of protection of their privacy. She didn't mind her connection to Voltron being kept under public wrap, but the shock that ensued when someone did find her out, especially at the Galaxy Garrison, was a bit melodramatic and unnecessary. She'd had to deal with more than a few of Lance's admirers. And yet...

     "Mark my words, Holt. By the time this war is really over, we'll be in-laws."

     "Huh?"

     "Those two are clearly made for each other."

     "Why do you say that?"

     "Oh, don't tell me you don't see it."

     "I thought Lance might have had a thing for the princess."

     "Yeah? And who doesn't?" She nudged him jokingly. "Besides, even though it kind of looks like she might like him back, that means nothing in the long run. Maybe you'll get a shot with her."

     "Ha ha. I don't think Pidge is interested in Lance, either."

     "It's not as though she'd tell you."

     "We tell each other everything."

     "A person with nothing to hide wouldn't keep a journal."

     "I...I guess that's true, but-"

     "But either way, you're her  _brother_. She's not going to tell you all of the same things she tells her friends, like Lance, or Hunk... Or me."

     "Wait... What? What did she tell you?"

  
     Veronica simply smiled and continued to eat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb...  
> Unless you're a Holt or McClain.  
> Then it's pretty much even.


	2. The Cobbler's Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge, Lance and Allura discuss the possible whereabouts of the missing Altean colony.  
> Pidge confides in Lance her past troubles in making friends.

     "Any new information on the Altean?"

     " 'Fraid not, Princess. She's still in a cryo pod."

     "And no transmissions from the Galra?"

     Lance shook his head. "Pretty much radio silence. We'd let you know immediately if anything ever came up."

     On the other side of their transmission, Allura sighed, "It appears that we're simply stuck grasping at straws, then. Pidge, any other leads to either theory? Any _new_ theories, maybe?"

      Adjusting her glasses, Pidge leaned on the sitting Red Paladin's shoulder. "As far as any of us can figure, with our lack of information, we're looking at either a quintessence-charged prince with a transreality ship, or an Altean witch with who _knows_ how many loyal druids. Both know how to directly tap quintessence, and have been missing for decapheobs. Whoever it is, they not only collected the entirety of the Altean race, but managed to keep them and their location under wraps. Whether they're being treated as refugees or solely as a power source is up for grabs. I mean, obviously they're being used as batteries, more or less, but if we could understand so much as their living conditions it would help some."

     Allura slumped back in her chair. "Without the knowledge of Lotor's ability, or lack thereof, to open wormholes, or if there was a teledav on his ship, we can't even properly assess the possibility of his escape from the rift."

     Lance sat up. "Wait - so if Prince Traitor can open wormholes, does that guarantee that he got out of the rift before it closed?"

     "No, but it makes it far more likely a scenario. For all we know, he could have figured out a way to open his own way out with his ship."

     "I don't think so."

     "What?"

     Lance rested an arm around the tiny paladin's shoulders. "Pidge here is the only reason we were able to do anything like that in our lions, and she's, like, a genius. Full offense to Lotor; he's no Pidge."  
     Pidge grinned. "Yeah. Lotor's smart, but if transdimensional or transreality travel were any area of his expertise, he would have found a way to open his own rift a long time ago."

     "Besides," Lance shook his head,"no one even saw him leave, wormhole or no wormhole, and his generals hadn't seen him for years afterwards. I'm callin' it now; no way he got out!".

     Allura hesitantly nodded. "I suppose you're right, there."

     "Of course I'm right!"

     "So," Pidge shrugged, "I guess our only option left to explore is Haggar and whatever she's been up to this whole time."

     Allura nodded again, more confidently. "Yes, I've been thinking about that. From what we've gathered on the way to the Balmera, as well as the duration of our trip to Arus, we've heard endless stories of Druid sightings, but it seems no one has seen or heard from Haggar for some time. However, our encounter with Macidus confirmed that she is very much alive."

     Lance whispered to Pidge, "Who?"

     She whispered back, "The guy that collected all of those Marmoran blades and had Kolivan tied up in a storage room."

     "Ah."

     Pidge spoke up again. "Not only did _she_ disappear, so did the entire Altean colony Lotor set up. But if she's behind that, how did she find them to begin with?"  


     "You kidding?" Lance scoffed, "This is _Haggar_ we're talking about! She's got _who knows_ how many spies, plus probably got some info out of Lotor's generals when they were working for her."

     "You have a point." Allura sighed. "There's no use in asking how she knew. What's important is _where_ she took them, and what plans she has for them."

 

     "Stop. Hold on a second." Lance furrowed his brow.

     "What if... What if they came... Willingly?"

 

     "Huh?" The Blue and Green paladins shared their confused looks, then aimed them at Lance.

     "Hear me out... Lotor was like, their savior. He kept them safe from Zarkon and Haggar. But it's been generations since then. Anyone who knew what Haggar looked like is long gone by now, so the best info they've got is word of mouth to go on. If she approached someone the same age as Romelle and introduced herself and 'Honerva, Lotor's Altean mother'..."

     "...She could have easily gained their trust." Allura typed something into her console offscreen. "Inform Commander Holt, Shiro and Keith of all this. Ask Romelle about how much she and the Alteans may have known about Lotor's mother. As for the rest of us, we'll start the trip back tomorrow morning, maybe even tonight. We'll be landing with our cargo in less than a movement. Blue paladin, out."

     The transmission ended.

 

     Lance relaxed in chair.  
     "Quiznak. Are we really going to have to fight Haggar again? With a possible army of Alteans? We've done a complete 360."

     "It's a 180. 360 means we're back where we started."

     "Whatever. I don't want to have to fight Allura's people."

     "For one thing, they aren't really her people. They were loyal to Lotor, last we checked. Also, it's been years. For all we know, maybe our four Alteans are all that are left."

     "Yeah, okay, two things wrong with that - Haggar isn't dumb enough to send her last Altean down to Earth while we're here. And, wow, downer theory much?"

     "Just throwing out some possibilities. I don't want to fight them either, but I think there's a better chance of them just being batteries to her. Would it be worse for them to die fighting for Haggar's cause, or by being sapped of their quintessence?"

     "Talk about a Belladonna."

     "...Beautiful woman?"

     "No, it's a move in this card came my brother Luis is really into. It basically means you can forfeit and let your opponent win by default, or you keep playing and lose to them anyway. There's no good way out."

     "The lesser of two evils."

     "Between a rock and a hard place."

     "The Devil and the deep blue sea."

     "Heads, I win; tails, you lose."

     Pidge snorted, "What?"

     "Matt never pulled that on you when you were little?"

     "No. We never had to settle anything with 'Heads or Tails'.

     "Siblings that don't fight are almost certainly hiding something."

     "Eeyeah. That's definitely it." She rolled her eyes.

     " _Speeaakingg_ of _sibliinggs,"_ Lance nudged her, "I've noticed you and Veronica getting all buddy-buddy recently."

     "Yeah? So?"

     "What's goin' on there?"

     "Oh, you know, plotting to take over the world, mocking you behind your back, the usual stuff."

     "No, seriously. I think it's kinda cool that my best friend and my sister are hitting it off so well."

     Pidge paused.

     "I'm...I'm your best friend?"

     "Of course! You and Hunk are my best buds, in this or any other galaxy. And that's not just an expression, since we've been to other galaxies."

     "Yeah, I got the joke. But... Really? I mean..."

     "What?"

 

     She slunk down into a cross-legged position on the floor. "Well... Before you and Hunk, Matt was really the only friend I ever had."

     Lance leaned over the side of his chair to meet her eyes. "Wait, really?"

     "Yes, really."

     "I mean, you _aren't exactly_ the easiest person to befriend, you know."

     "It wasn't that at all. I was only callous to you two because I didn't think I had time for friends. But before then... I was bullied by a lot of other kids. Even the teachers were pretty distant."

     "Is that cause you're such a nerd?"

     She glared up at him.

     "No, no, no, I mean like, you were too smart for your own good. Basically, everyone, adults included aparently, thought you were a big know-it-all."

     "Uh, yeah. Pretty much."

     "Crow. That is SO dumb."

     "Wh-"

 

     "Seriously. Hating someone cause they're special. They're just weirded out because you're, like, a billion times smarter than they'll ever be. I mean, you _are_ kind of a genius, and you're not even standing in someone else's shadow. You've made a name for yourself. I _wish_ I had something that made me special like that. It's hard to stand out in such a big family, y'know?"

     He looked almost... Sad.

     "Hey, whatever they said, it doesn't matter. They missed out on you. But all of us? We didn't. And we don't take that for granted, I assure you."

     She smiled under her upturned brows. "...Thanks, Lance."

     "There's no need to thank me. Honestly, if you ever think anything less of yourself, it's our fault for not being better friends."

     He was caught off-guard by the hug he was suddenly receiving. Her short arms were wrapped as best they could around him. He smiled and gently returned the embrace. He couldn't tell how long it lasted, but he could feel a few hot tears on his cheek.

 

     He just couldn't tell if they were Pidge's tears of thanks, or his of longing.

 

 

     Not that his would have mattered much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cobbler's child wears the worst shoes...  
> The one who comforts is the one who needs it most.
> 
> Edit: THE SEASON 8 TRAILER CAME OUT AND????? MY THEORY MIGHT ACTUALLY BE CANON???? ALTEANS WILLINGLY FOLLOWING HAGGAR??????? I'm shook


	3. Chekhov's Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is introduced to Lance's broadsword while training together. He insists to Lance every member of Voltron is irreplaceable, then gathers a team to begin work on a fail-safe plan for replacing a dead Black paladin.

     "Lance, come on! I'm doing all the work here!"

     "And I saved your behind in long-range, so we're even!"

     "If you can hit something at long range, how are you missing so badly at short range?!"

     "I get hit before I can even - OW!"

     "Use your shield!"

     "All my weapons require two hands, Keith!"

 

     Back to back, the Red and Black paladins did their best to defend each other from the drones circling them in the Atlas' training hall. They bickered non-stop through every phase, struggling to work together. Lance thrived at long range attacks and taking down gunmen, and Keith excelled at short range attacks and hand-to-hand combat. In theory, they should have been the perfect match for any battle, given the range of skills between them. But, and Shiro encouraged them to train together  _because_  of this, no amount of trust in each other could silence their criticisms.

     "Seriously?!"

     "Yes! Why would I hold out?!"

     "The biggest arsenal on the team, and you don't have a single one-handed weapon!"

     Lance glared at him over his shoulder. "What did you just call me?"

 

     Hours of practice had made them excellent at engaging in both battle as well as shouting matches. While the drones did constantly emit a sort of loud humming noise, they were speaking far over the sound. Keith lunged at a low-flying attacker, slicing upward to take out another. With each strike, he knocked down a disrepaired drone.

     "You have  _got_ to have something! Anything would be helpful right now!"

     "No! I - "

     A half-severed drone hit the ground and ricocheted in front of him. Then it clicked.

     "Keith, cover me."

     "I thought I already was!"

     Lance closed his eyes, breathing deeply and concentrating. His bayard glowed, hesitantly shifting. His eyes snapped open on his hardened face, slashing at he drones around him as he activated his shield. Realizing Lance no longer needed the cover, Keith lashed out with equal aggression. One by one, cracked metal shells and drives of still-active wiring were torn apart and sent flying. They picked them and the second wave off in less than a minute. It wasn't until  the phase ended that the Black paladin noticed what it was his partner had been holding.

     "Is that...How did you...When?"

     Lance nonchalantly swung the sword around with a smooth rotation of his wrist. "Ah, this ol' thing? I've had it at  _least_ since evil Shiro started neglecting me."

     "I... Honestly can't tell if you're joking."

     "Nah, evil Shiro wasn't all that bad. But when you left, I sorta..." He shrugged and placed his free hand on his hip, "sorta had to replace you. I mean, I never really used it, but I guess your bayard was missing you or something."

     "No." Keith shook his head. "That's nothing like mine."

     "Huh?"

     "The design... That's Altean, isn't it?"

     "Uh... " Lance held it up. "Yeah, it is."

     "And you didn't do it yourself?"

     "Not the first time."

     "And you think that means you were supposed to replace me?"

     "I mean, yeah, kinda. I'm more 'sharpshooter' than 'slice-n-dice'."

     "Maybe... your bayard is trying to tell you something. That you're-"

     "Destined for greater things?"

     "Not what I was going to say, but yeah, sure."

     "That's what Allura said about it, too."

 

     They stored their bayards in their armor as usual, both resting on a bench with a water bottle in hand.

     "Lance," Keith screwed the cap back on, "you should keep practicing with your sword. Use it when you can. You're our sharpshooter, but a close-combat, one-handed weapon could save your life of these days. Practice using it with both hands, too. It's important to be skilled with both." He stood and stretched. "I think we can call it a day."

     Lance stood as well running his hands through his hair as he walked towards the door.

     "Oh, and hey."

     "Yeah, man?" He paused to turn and face Keith.

     "You're not just my replacement, just like I didn't replace Shiro and Allura didn't replace you. Everyone is important to the team in some way or another. Changing our roles within Voltron doesn't affect that."

     Lance gave a light nod and a smile of thanks. He turned back, continuing towards the door.

     "Besides, Mullet, if Red wanted to replace you, he wouldn't have picked the best-looking paladin of the bunch!"

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

     "Alright, so, I've called you here because-"

     "Hold up," Pidge cut Keith off, "Where's Lance?"

     "That... Is why we're all here."

     Sitting along the sides of a long table, six confused faces did their best to read the seventh's blank expression.

     "Wait, what? Where is he? What happened? Is he hurt?"

     Hunk dismissed the little paladin's concern with a small wave. "No, no, he probably tried to cut Keith's hair while he was asleep again."

     "He-What?... Uh, no, that's not it, but thank you for informing me of another reason to lock my dorm at night."

     Shiro, Commander Holt, Hunk, Pidge, Krolia and Allura waited as he took a breath and continued, "You're all here because, given the track record of the Black paladins, I think it's very likely that I will die or get seriously injured in our next fight. I want Voltron to be prepared for the very real possibility of that."

     "You brought us here to talk about preparing the team for your  _possible death?_ Two things; one-" Pidge gestured to an empty chair, "the gang's not all here, and two, we're _all_ in danger, all the t-"

     "Here's a figure you should understand; two of our three total Black paladins were murdered. I narrowly survived several attacks, and the rest of you have been in danger, yes, but I think it's safe to say I'm the most likely to be K.I.A.'ed. As for Lance, I don't want him, or anyone else, to know about this. This op, which I'm calling Operation-VP6, is top secret."

__

__

     "VP6?" Allura spoke up. "Top secret? What is this that involves only four of the five, or three of the five, paladins? if you want all of Voltron prepared-"

__

__

     "What I want," he cut her off, "is to be sure that everyone is prepared for Lance to take over as the head of Voltron."

__

__

     The silence was incredibly unsettling.

__

__

     "No. No way. If anything happens to you, then Shiro-"

__

__

     Shiro stopped Pidge with the short raise of his hand. "I'd be flying the Atlas."

__

__

     Keith nodded, "Exactly. If something happens to me, there's no Voltron, and there's really only one option left to pursue. With Pidge and Hunk clearly maintaining a permanent place on Voltron's left, and Allura being more trusting than observant - no offense - and more of a Princess than a war Commander, it's pretty clear who's left. We need someone that can quickly assess a situation and formulate a plan with minimal collateral damage. We're on Earth, not space. Attacks here have enormous consequences. Lance knows everyone and their strengths pretty well, so he'll know how to use them effectively. H-"

__

__

     "I think you're overlooking his many,  _many_  faults that could affect his leadership."

__

__

     "Hunk, he's mastered two lions, and has experienced the capabilities of both the arms and legs of Voltron. That's not even to mention that he was your captain at the Garrison befor-"

__

__

     "He was a terrible captain!"

__

__

     "No, he was cocky and inexperienced. Now he's Voltron's second-in-command and my own right-hand man. And like it or not, you've been taking orders from him for a while now. He's risked his life for every member of this team without hesitation, and even as cocky as he seems to be, not once has he ever asked for thanks."

__

__

     "He even died for me." Allura spoke softly, keeping her eyes down.

__

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     "WHAT?" Hunk and Pidge both turned to Allura.

__

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     "Obviously, he's fine now, but-"

__

__

     "He certainly failed to mention his own  _death_  to us!" Hunk threw his hand out in exasperation.

__

__

     "I revived him in time."

__

__

     "That doesn't excuse not mentioning it!"

__

__

     Keith interrupted them. "He nearly died saving Coran, was half-dead and shooting at Sendak, and that was at the very beginning of all of this. He's gotten to the point he's thrown himself between a Galra warlord and his team. Clearly he's-"

__

__

     Krolia spoke.

__

__

     "It sounds like he doesn't fear death."

__

__

     Keith rested a palm on the table.

__

__

     "No, what he fears is failure. And that is why we aren't going to tell him how much we're really going to be counting on him when the time comes. Right now, our focus is going to be our new recruit."

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A gun introduced in Act One will be fired by Act Three...  
> Ten chapters to an act.  
> Can you guess what VP6 really stands for?


	4. Plotter's Code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Lance sets off Pidge, they leave Veronica and Hunk to attend a Garrison briefing and reminisce on their friendship - not to mention plotting to drag Pidge with them to meet the rest of the McClain family.

     "I don't like this. I mean, crow, Allura and I aren't here a solid 5 minutes before we're being summoned to go on secret missions behind our friends' backs. I mean, at least let me get out of my _armor_ before we start another conversation on lion musical chairs." Hunk gave an aggravated sigh. "So how have things been here?"

     Pidge shrugged. "Nothing's really happened at all. The whole VP6 thing was completely out of the blue. Also, incredibly unnecessary."

     "Well, I don't know about that. I mean it could be any one of us that gets killed, so it's a good idea to have a backup paladin. We always kinda had one at the ready on the Castle."

     "This is different. Sure, better safe than sorry, but the whole top secret, 'the new recruit's life could be at risk', is just too much. I'm all for being ready for anything, but we're acting like spies from one of Lance's terribl-"

     "What about Lance?" The pair felt arms around their shoulders.

     "Don't DO THAT! Crow, you are lucky I don't have my bayard." Pidge shrugged his arm off.

     "Can't you just call it from here? Like this." He closed his eyes for a second, connecting to his bayard, which appeared into his hand. "Ha-ha! See?"

     While summoning his bayard, he'd missed the fact she'd summoned hers a hair faster - it was a matter of seconds before the two were tearing down the hall after each other. He shouted something back at her, she got angrier, shooting her katar at him. Hunk shook his head. 

     "Those two are doomed to grow old together."

     "Crow! Are _all_ the McClains going to sneak up on me today, or are we good?"

     Veronica smiled. "Commander Holt wanted all of you for a briefing on an alliance meeting at the Garrison. But I guess those two are going to have to get filled in later."

     "If it's important I can-"

     "It's not the kind of important that demands your presence, but it'd be better if more people heard it from a primary source so no information is lost in the process of spreading the word." They started walking towards the briefing room.

     "You know, half of what you say sounds so smart and sophisticated, and the other half sounds like-"

     "Like Lance? I was born first, so technically, he sounds like me."

     "Except the smarts and sophistication didn't take," he laughed.

     "Pidge will have to fill in the gaps for him."

     "You're not subtle at all, you know that?"

     "Hunk, how long have we been friends?"

     He thought for a second. "Probably since the day Lance and I tore up the toaster and we had to ask you for help to put it back together."

     "Ah, yes, you two were not the brightest children... But what I meant was that it's been a few years, and in all that time, have I ever bothered to be anything but straightforward?"

     "...No, I guess not. You should start working on that."

     "You're the same way for the most part. You try to take me down, you're taking yourself down, too."

     "That's fair."

     The briefing room was filled with people who looked very impatient and very tired. The Garrison had every available hand working on carrying the Balmeran crystals, which Hunk and Allura had brought back to Earth, into multiple labs. The paladins had gotten out of it - except for Lance, which was a great distraction for him while the others had the VP6 meeting - and it appeared that would be the only slack they'd be receiving for a long while.  
     Commander Holt gave a knowing nod to Hunk as he entered.

  
     "Alright, most of the hard work was done inside these walls over the past few years, and now that the war's reached an intermission, we have time to rebuild our cities and expand the Voltron coalition here on Earth. That being said, the Galaxy Garrison will be hosting a meeting of representatives from numerous groups we hope to ally with. This may very well be the first step in achieving worldwide cooperation in the war effort. Our interstellar allies will be making appearances as well.

     "For the sake of respecting the cultures of our guests, it will be a formal event. Obviously we don't all have tuxedos and evening gowns hanging in our closets, but those of you who will be officially attending probably have a uniform you're expected to wear, anyway. Not all members of the Garrison will be able to attend - it is crucial that we have engineers and high-ranking officers alike to be the face of our organization. If anyone believes that they could assist with the event in any way, let us know. For example," he gestured to Veronica and Hunk, "we have many multilingual crew among us, and we can place them as interpreters if needed. We encourage everyone to help in any way you can, no matter how seemingly insignificant. We need this event to go smoothly at the very least. We have three weeks to prepare. That's all for now. You may return to your schedules. Dismissed."

     The pair walked back down the way they'd come.

  
     "That was a lot to take in, and yet he managed to compact it all into a few sentences." Hunk rubbed his forehead.

     "It's called a 'briefing' for a reason."

      "Yeah, no, I got that. I mean-"

     "You mean that there was a lot more to what he was saying than what was actually said."

     "...Stop telling me what I mean."

     She smiled.

     "It's good to hang out with you again after so long. Albeit, I'm happy you're both safely home to begin with."

     "We've been home for a few months now."

     "I know... But you were gone for nearly _five years_. Those videos you all sent made us worry even more than before. Once we had confirmation that you were not only alive, but on the _front lines_ in a war we had no idea we were in the midst of..."

     "It must have sucked."

     "It did. The whole family is clinging to the idea of Lance being a big hero to forget the fact he's always in danger. They worry about you, too. When Lance and I head down to the house, you should come along. I'm sure Meemaw would love to cook with you like old times."

     "When are you leaving?"

     "The first chance we get."

     Hunk nodded, and they began to part ways.

     "Hang on a second." He stopped her.

     "Yes?" She turned just enough to face him.

     "We're taking Pidge, too."

  
     She smirked and adjusted her glasses.

  
     "Naturally."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't find a good name or phrase for this one.  
> Let me know if you do.  
> A play on 'Pirate's Code' is all I have at the moment.


	5. Basic Circuitry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk and Pidge design the new bayard's inner-workings with integrated tech. Hunk convinces her to visit Lance's family back down in Cuba.  
> (Yes, the science is actually accurate, in conjunction with Voltron tech.)

     The tech team on Operation-VP6 included Hunk, Pidge and Allura, who decided to set up shop in a small testing room just off of the makeshift Altean lab. Like the lions' hangars, this was a part of the Garrison that had been cleared out and set aside for the paladin's use, but the lab was also accessible to engineers working on integrating Altean tech. The room they'd chosen was, until previously, also easily accessible, but Commander Holt pulled a few strings and locked it under V-Class clearance only. He himself could no longer access it, granting them the assurance no one else could, either. While he was at it, he revoked the ability on Lance's card key, and added it's access to the Black hangar.

     The three worked in partnered shifts, as to not crowd the room nor set off any red flags regarding why three of the Voltron paladins were missing all at once on a regular basis. Hunk was able to spend most of his time working outside of the room, creating drafts of bayard structures and armored casings. His go-to cover story was that he was simply doing a study of his own bayard, but since no one ever actually noticed what he was working on, no one actually asked him about it. Allura's focus was on the recreation of paladin armor, which was a rather simple task, but long and tiring work, especially without the help of Coran or the Castle. Pidge held the responsibility of reverse-engineering the bayard's inner-workings. Trying to build a quasi-magical device was frustratingly challenging; she was passionately immersed in her work. All-nighters and missed meals became a frequent occurrence. The 'V-Team', as Hunk had dubbed them, was constantly having to cover for each other as Lance became more and more curious about what they were up to.

     They had a close call one night when the Red paladin followed Pidge to the lab, unbeknownst to her. She'd reached for her card key, then realizing she'd forgotten to bring it with her. Lance scared her half-to-death by breaking his silence with a terrible, terrible pun.

     "Looks like someone lost their V-card."

     Pidge jumped and dropped everything she was holding.

     "Crow, Lance! You stalk me and then announce yourself with THAT?"

     "Hey, whoever called it V-Class set that joke up for me."

     "The 'V' is for Voltron, you dunce."

     "Extra bitter today, I see. Here, I got mine."

     "Wow, way to play yourself there, champ."

     "Oh, shut up."

     She held her breath as he'd scanned his card, and it was revoked.

     "Weird. I thought these things were all-access."

     "Must be a security error," she spilled out the excuse she'd been planning. "I'll go talk to security."

     Pidge walked off, retrieved her card, and watched her back more intently from then on.

 

     Hunk decided to settle for the classic design of the bayard, hoping to make it indistinguishable from the others in looks, but made it a bit more compact and lightweight for the convenience of VP6, who'd have to carry it around rather than summon it from their armor. The synthetic bayard wasn't going to be compatible with the new armor or any of the lions, but it would still be a weapon and a good training tool to prepare for the real thing. He began to help Pidge, who'd come up with a very basic CPU and a failed attempt at a RAM, still unable to fully understand the Altean tech she was building from scratch. After the two consulted with her father, they managed a working RAM and mapped out the rest of the inner structuring. Hunk grafted a simple skeleton prototype, but they still had one big problem.

     "Oookay, so, how are we supposed to build an amplifier to tap human quintessence?"

     Pidge rested her head on the table. "How do we even tap quintessence without eventually draining the source?"

     "It's a renewable energy. If we can find a way to amp up it's power, the turnaround time won't really matter."

     "Sure, but we can't do that without accessibility. That's problem one. Problem two is that, as far as we've tested, quintessence isn't compatible with any sort of power amplifier we've already engineered, so we have to build a new one."

     "What about Balmeran crystals?"

     "What about them?"

     Hunk crossed his arms, using one hand to scratch his chin. "They're charged with quitessence, right? And they can be recharged."

     Pidge sat up. "If we can create an interface that connects to a crystal, we've got our power source."

     "From there, we can build an amplifier and Allura can figure out how to recharge the crystal with human quintessence."

     "We're not finished there, though. We still have to figure out how the user would be able to manipulate the  _flow_  of power. If we just hook it up as-is, it's constantly going to be using energy and drain fast."

     "I've been thinking about that... our bayards can potentially be activated in the wrong hands, like, y'know, the whole Zarkon thing, so I was thinking 'what if we took Keith's rule about the bayard only to be used by VP6 to the next level?' We make it so only one person can even activate it."

     "We'd have to build it to directly interact with only VP6, though, which would be incredibly hard given our oath to secrecy at the moment."

     "Actually, no, we wouldn't. I've been working on a few designs," he pulled out a few pages of rough designs of a remote activation microchip and receiving sensor. "I thought maybe we could create an interface like the one you got from Ryner on Olkarion, and if we set it up so that the microchip is the only way to receive the 'okay' to activate the bayard, only the holder could use it, regardless of who tries to. This also means hands-off activation, so you could set it off to injure anyone who tried to steal it."

     "Hmm... We'll need a way for VP to carry the chip at all times, without anyone knowing or compromising the integrity of the device."

     "Again, I already got it covered." Hunk pointed to a few sketches of the disguised chip.

     "That's perfect! Inconspicuous, easily covered for if anyone asks about it, and we could even add a tracking chip to find h-"

     Hunk slapped a hand over her mouth. "It's been over a week, you have got to get out of the habit of using pronouns. We're probably safe in here, but still!" He removed his hand.

     "... We could use it to track  _VP6's_  location at all times, for security, access and emergencies."

     "Anything we add has to be tiny. The chip will already take up most of the space we have to work with. We also need a way to activate it."

     "I'll just reverse-engineer the Olkarion interface and adapt it to send signals to the receiver in the bayard. I actually know how to work with that sort of tech."

     "So... We build the crystal interface first, then get Allura working on a way to amplify the energy and recharge it with human quintessence. While she's doing that you can work on the remote activation and tracking chip, and I'll set up a receiver connected to the power circuit."

     "Receiver gets the signal, completes the circuit, and bam, we got ourselves a new bayard. I'll whip up a new crystal interface since I've done it before; I still have all my stuff from the Galra version. You fill Allura in on the plan and help her finish up the armor - and figure out a way to connect a second chip inside the bodysuit. We'll make a stronger one to put there in case the original chip gets compromised."

     "Want me to start designing a second chip?"

     "Work on a draft, but I'll handle the actual building portion and add on to your design."

     "Will do. Question - how do you feel about a beachside vacation?"

     Pidge gave him an equally quizzical and suspicious look.

     "As much as I'd love a vacation, I'd get burned alive at a beach. Why are you asking?"

     "Because we're leaving in a couple weeks. We're heading down to Boca de Camarioca."

     "First of all, I have no idea where that is, but it sounds Spanish; secondly, since when?"

     "Since Veronica invited us."

     "Hold on, is this some sort of family trip? Isn't Boca de... Whatever-you-said... Isn't that where Lance's family lives? I think I remember something about that coming up when we sent some of our people down there to rebuild."

     "Yes, that's where his house is, but it's a vacation. We'll be staying there but we'll be spending our time at Varadero."

     "Yeah, this sounds like a family thing. Why are we going?"

     "I just told you; Veronica wants us to. C'mon, Nadia's, like, your number one fan. You have to."

     "I don't know who Nadia is, but I doubt I have actual 'fans'."

     "Don't you want a little time off from the Garrison? A break from Keith?"

     "The VP6 stress is going to follow us all the way down and back, so don't kid yourself."

     "Listen - no training, no tedious wiring and rewiring, and no generic Mess Hall food. You think my cooking is good? Just wait 'til you try Meemaw's. That woman taught me everything I know about using homegrown, all-natural ingredients, which seriously came in handy when we were on planets that were all vegetation and had no local markets, let me tell you-"

     "Okay, okay! It sounds... Nice. I assume we're taking the lions?"

     "So you'll go?"

     "Uh, yeah, I just said that."

     "Great. I'll tell Veronica we're in." He excitedly rushed out.

     "Wait! What about the- aaaand he's gone. Fantastic."

     As the door slid shut on its own, she rolled out some blank paper and got to work on the crystal interface structural design.

     She couldn't help but wonder why it was Veronica, not Lance, that had extended the invitation to them. The thought that perhaps Lance had intentionally withheld the invite crossed her mind, then morphed into a more upsetting one.

      _What if Lance doesn't want me there?_

     She knew, in her head, that he wasn't going to have any problems with the extra company. He thrived on human interaction. But deep down, the doubt was unshakable.

 

     Why was it bothering her so much? Veronica had invited her. Why was  _his_  approval suddenly so important?

 

     She threw on her headphones and drowned out the thoughts with music, once again immersing herself in her work.


	6. An Unwatched Pot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance lashes out at Pidge about ignoring him, leaving Hunk to comfort her.  
> Oh yeah, and no one filled her in on the super-important-alliance-gala-thing.  
> Oops.

     The time flew by.

     The bayard and armor were seamlessly completed;the bayard being some of Team Punk's best work. It took about two weeks to finish, and when they finally presented them to Keith, he let them have the break they'd been in desperate need of. The week of freedom they'd been granted passed even faster. The galactic alliance meeting, or just 'gala' as many had been calling it, had been planned out and set up, but the crew still raced around to get last-minute work done. The paladins hardly noticed any of it, mostly being outside with the cadets that were flying for the first time. Pidge took to the skies in the Green lion, leading the new flyers in their basic drills, while Hunk and Iverson watched from the ground. They'd offered to help to make up for the thin-stretched staff.

     Oh, yeah, Lance was there, too.

     "So, are these guys doing good? I mean, they look like they're flying okay but are they doing the drill right? It looks a little..." Lance shrugged and made a face.

     "~Considering the fact we never got this far as cadets, you don't really have room to talk.~"

     "Hey, we're all universe-reknowned pilots now, though."

     "~We did that on accident.~"

     "Exactly! We're basically prodig-"

     Hunk elbowed him. "Lance, shut it for a minute. She's trying to lead the drills."

     "She can multitask."

     "She's supposed to be on a comm channel with Iverson, but that's not exactly easy with you hogging it."

     "Ughhhhhh..." He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

     He'd been getting used to being overlooked, but it still hurt. For weeks now, it seemed no one had had time for him, and when they did, it was time to do some sort of work. And not usually work that involved him; he simply followed and tried to help where he could. Science wasn't his strong-suit, and while he was familiar with some basic mechanics, he was no engineer. Most heavy lifting was done by B- and C-Class staff, rebuilding efforts were making major headway without any further help from the Garrison, and if he spent one more moment in the training hall alone, he'd go insane. It began to feel as if he wasn't really needed here at all and, had Veronica not been there, he'd have seriously considered leaving to live with his family back at the house.  
     He'd planned it out in his head; with a lion, he'd be able to get back to the base fast if needed, the comms' range would reach him. It was only a daydream, a half-baked thought he'd stopped caring about. But watching Pidge lead while Hunk helped Iverson watch the cadets' formation, he started to realize just how little was really holding him back. It really was just his sister, not his best friend and his... His other best friend.

     _Don't have weird thoughts, Lance. Don't be weird._

     He waited impatiently until the drills were finally over and the Green lion touched down. He attempted to hide his enthusiasm, walking nonchalantly up to it as Green let Pidge out through its mouth. She patted the side of its metal leg, saying they'd had a good run today. She told the lion to return to the hangar for now, and it half-obeyed, half-followed-her-remote-piloting, something Pidge had been working on perfecting. As Green left, the small paladin took a seat on the curb of the landscaping. Lance had followed her the whole way, now sitting to her right as she pulled her laptop out of her bag and began typing away at something.

     "Soooo... What's up with your hair?"

     "Huh?"

     She stopped typing and looked up from her computer. He was leaning back on his hands, looking coolly curious. It was hardly a conversation starter, but it did the job.

     "I cut my hair so no one would recognize me at the Garrison when I enrolled; I thought that was pretty clear by now."

     "What-no, I get that. I meant, like... What are you gonna do now? Let it grow out? Keep it short? Cut it shorter, like your mom's? Like, what's the plan?"

     "...I don't know. Why?"

     He let his head slump back scanning the sky for oddly-shaped clouds, or anything else that could have entertained him. "How long was your hair before you chopped it off?"

     Ignoring that he'd avoided the question, she shuffled through her bag, pulling out a photograph of her and Matt before the launch. She held it out to him. What she hadn't known was that he'd played her. He took the photo, feeling a little bad for preying on her predictability, but happy his plan had worked. He sat up, crossing his legs and looking at the happy pair of siblings. Pidge had been a cliche kind of beautiful; long hair, a gentle smile, a calf-long dress. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. She'd gone back to typing, but even past the glasses, he saw that the face underneath had hardly changed. She was still beautiful, just in a far more subtle way.

_Okay, wow, that was... Weird. Weird thoughts. Stop thinking weird thoughts._

     His eyes fell back to the picture. "You gonna grow your hair out like this again?" He repeated the question.

     She shrugged. "I don't know. I liked my old hair, but short hair is more practical in a wartime setting. Besides, the style's kinda grown on me."

     "So, what about cutting it shorter?"

     "Well, I was scared of cutting my hair short when I first did it, but now? I dunno."

     "You think I should grow my hair out?" He asked absentmindedly.

     She snickered, "You mean like Keith's mullet?"

     He shot up straight, crossing his arms and glaring. "No no no, no way! Absolutely not!" He settled a bit, handing the picture back. "I mean like... Shiro's, maybe? Maybe just a little longer than it is now, but my same style..."

     "Your hair is fine as it is."

     "Yeah, but I don't want it to be just 'fine', I want it to look good. Oh, yeah, speaking of which, what are we supposed to wear tomorrow? Like, it's a formal event, but a lot of people are wearing their uniforms. Do we dress up or wear our armor?"

     Pidge paused.

     "What are you talking about?"

     "Um, the gala alliance thing?"

     She choked a little. "Wha... What? Alliance thing?"

     "You... You really don't know?"

     "Obviously not!"

     "Seriously? The whole Garrison's been preparing for weeks! Where have you been?!"

     "I've had stuff to do! I've been working on things! I've been busy!"

     "You think I haven't noticed? You never have time for me anymore! I stop by your room, no one there. The labs? Nope! I know you're not in the Green hangar, because you never answer Red's transmissions -- We used to hang out all the time! At least Hunk will have a conversation with me!"

_Lance, stop. Stop now. This is bad. You're freaking out. Calm-_

     Despite his own head's objections, he continued, "He's always working, but he's made time! Are you seriously too busy to even answer your comm?" The frustration in his eyes became sadness. He stood up.

     "Pidge, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He sighed. "You've just been... gone. Even on the Castle, when our lives were in constant danger, we still found time to hang. Play a little Killbot - crow, even help you with whatever science thing you were working on... I just miss that. It's probably just me, but it really feels like you guys are just... avoiding me. I dunno, just... Forget it."

  
     She'd been shocked silent. She knew Lance had probably felt a bit ignored, but she'd not at all expected the outburst. The way he spoke... That wasn't the sound of anger or sadness, it was the sound of betrayal and the acceptance of defeat. They were sounds she'd heard in her mother's voice after she'd cut her hair. When her mother had seen her, she'd explained everything. She'd spoken to her just the same, different words but the same message:

     I know I can't change anything, and I probably should've seen it coming.  
     But it still hurts.

     He'd already walked off, and it was too late to call after him. Was it too late to fix the damage, too?

  
     Hunk approached Pidge from the opposite direction, sitting down next to her. "So, first time he's done that to you?"

     "What?"

     "One thing you gotta know about Lance: he's good at keeping his mouth shut. He puts on a little show, acts like this suave guy, when he's actually a huge dork. Beneath that, though, he's super sensitive. He takes just about everything to heart. Bottles it up and just keeps on keepin' on until he explodes. Sometimes it's anger, sometimes sadness. Seeing him cry when Shiro woke up was just... I've only seen a dozen or so of 'em but I've been on the receiving end once or twice. It's awful."

     "Are you trying to make me feel better? Because you're really bad at it."

     "Just informing you for future reference. Let him have a few hours, then talk to him, one-on-one. You'll be fine."

     "I don't know, he seemed pretty hurt."

     "I've known Lance for a while now. He's a wild card sometimes, but he's got a huge heart. It's easy to break, but almost as easy to fix, depending on the person." He put a hand on her back. "Look, he's going to work on his speech tonight. As soon as I find out where, I'll tell you. You can meet him there, catch him while he's alone."

     "Wait a minute, what... What speech?"

     "For the meeting tomorrow night. Did you not get that info?"

     She shoved her things into her bag and ran into the nearest entrance to the base.

     Hunk just watched her as she went, shaking his head.

     "They're both hopeless. And we're supposed to be the universe's only hope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A watched pot never boils...  
> But happens when you look away for a little too long?


	7. There Are No Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith brings VP6 up to speed on the operation. They accept.  
> The question remains; who are they?

     The armor had been boxed with it's matching bayard and disguised activation chip, as well as a comm that had been added as an afterthought. The only thing missing was the V-Class card key with access to both the Blue and Red hangars. Keith had assumed it would be Red that would take on the new paladin, given who he'd chosen to be VP6, but taking into account the past paladin-swap, it was possible that Blue would be the most welcoming to them.

     He'd figured this in at the very beginning, choosing the new recruit's color accordingly:

     Purple.

     The Black and Green paladins had at it for a while, arguing whether not telling Lance was the right thing to do. Hunk did his best to keep Pidge quiet, but to no avail. It had become a shouting match that Keith had only been able to escape from due to Kosmo's teleportation ability. He knew he'd hear more of it later, but VP6's initiation was time sensitive, and her complaints were constant anyway.

     "Sorry if it isn't your style, but we didn't pick the color to look fashionable." The Black paladin, sitting on the empty bed in the recruit's dorm, held the card between two fingers and reached across the space between the beds.

     "...Why are you giving this to me? What is this for?"

     "This is a V-Class clearance with access to the Blue and Red hangars. It's yours."

     They hesitantly accepted the offered card. "Why? You didn't answer me - what is this-"

     "What I am about to tell you is top secret information. A word of this to anyone-"

     "Wait, is... Is this some sort of covert operation?"

     "I need you to promise that you will keep this confidential, and that you will cooperate as a member as the operation."

     "What do you mean by a 'member' of the operation? What - I... I vow to secrecy. I understand that this information is top secret. What exactly is the operation, and how am I supposed to be involved?"

     "Operation-VP6 is a fail-safe plan that I've created in the case of... My death in the hands of the Galra. The Black paladins have a history of that."

     "...Alright."

     "In any other situation, a sixth paladin would be seemingly unnecessary. But in this circumstance..."

     "Two is one, one is none. An important rule of planning in everything from engineering to basic survival."

     "Precisely."

     "So, my role in this..."

     "You are VP6."

     They fell silent, staring at the card.

     "...Why me?

     "If anyone staying here at the Garrison qualifies as a potential paladin, I have no doubt in my mind that it's you. I've seen you in action, I know you're smart and Pidge has told me about some of your recent work in the labs. Commander Holt speaks of you highly, and two of our paladins can vouch for your past actions being no different. The whole team, Shiro included, trusts you beyond any doubt. You are our fail-safe."

     "So all the other paladins are okay with this? They want it to be me?"

     "Commander Holt and Shiro are aware of the existence of another paladin. They support the plan. Pidge, Hunk, Allura and I know every detail of the plan, and Krolia knows your identity for security purposes. She's more or less your bodyguard should the operation be put into motion."

     "...What about Lance?"

     "He can't know. If he's given time to worry about the possibility of leading Voltron, he will. If he isn't, he won't."

     "... That's the only reason he's in the dark?"

     "If this didn't put any pressure on him, he'd know. But if something happens to me, he's the head of Voltron, and the last thing we need is a leader with a clouded mind."

     "Fine. When will he be told? Telling him in the middle of battle while he's in a lion with the others and I'm grounded here seems like a bad plan."

     "He'll be told when he needs to know."

     "... So, I'll be taking orders from just you and Lance, or am I on the lowest rung of this operation?"

     "You're not taking orders from anyone until you're in a lion. Even then, we're all equals here. We have to trust in each other and work as a team. Help each other when we can. You'll have to follow Lance's lead, but you all will have an influence on him and the decisions that he makes."

     "A head is useless when detached. I get it."

     "So, are you in? Can we be certain you'll be there when we need you?"

     "Do I seem like the kind of person that would leave you high and dry? Especially with my own flesh and blood being on your team?"

     "Then we're going to have to go over a few things."

     "Alright."

     Keith stood and lifted the armor's box from the floor and onto the bed he'd been sitting on. He opened it as VP6 stood behind him, revealing the set of white and purple armor.

     "In this box is your armor, your bayard, the device to activate your bayard, and your comm. Wear the activation chip and the comm at all times. Store your armor in a secure location that you can easily access. The Blue hangar is at your disposal for that if you need it. As for your bayard... It's for your protection, and until the operation is in motion it's last resort, but taking on this role as VP6 means that you have to be ready to step up as a paladin at any moment. You'll be able to hear us through your comm, but don't respond to anything unless we tell you to explicitly."

     "Got it."

     "Your training starts immediately following the alliance meeting. The Blue lion's cave. You should be suited up, and bring your bayard.."

     He headed to the door, pausing after opening it."I'm worried that Pidge might be harder to keep quiet than everyone else. She's not keen of keeping Lance in the dark. Talk to her. She'll listen to you."

     VP6 said nothing, just nodded. Keith left, and the door slid shut behind him.

 

     "I'm sure Mom's going to be _thrilled_ about this when she finds out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are no secrets that Time does not reveal...  
> But maybe someone will beat Time to it.


	8. Time and Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge and Lance work on their speeches for the alliance meeting, clearing some earlier tension. Then Lance insists that she should learn Spanish - with him as her teacher.

     "Hey."

     Lance looked up from his spot on the library floor. At the end of the aisle stood Pidge, with an apologetic face and her thumbs tucked into the straps of her bag. She slowly approached him, as if she was scared he'd lash out once more. He said nothing, simply watching as the small paladin sat across from him.

     "I'm sorry that I haven't been around. I've been working on a project, and when I actually finished it, Iverson needed help with the cadets and... It isn't a great excuse, but it's an explanation at least."

     He hugged his knees to his chest. "It's fine. I shouldn't have freaked out like that. I just..." He sighed. "I don't know what my deal was."

     "So... Why are you here, of all places?"

     "What, I can't just enjoy the peace and quiet of the library without someone questioning my motives?"

     "This isn't exactly common behavior for you. Also, you're writing something." She pointed at the open notebook on the floor next to him.

     "I'm working on my speech for tomorrow night. I'd ask why you're here but you're _you."_

"I'm here to spend time with you. And work on my speech."

     "Is this supposed to be some form of a pity date? A pity _study_ date?"

     "No. I'd never give you the satisfaction of receiving my pity."

     "Ouch. My feelings." He pretended to be hurt. "Suddenly my will to live is diminishing. You'll have to find a new Red paladin."

     She felt a pang of guilt. It showed.

     "Hey, you okay?"

     "Can I be honest with you for a second?"

     "Yeah. Always."

 

     She'd had two conversations about telling Lance about the operation. The Black paladin had demanded her silence for Lance's sake and the smooth sailing of the op. The Purple paladin stressed that she consider both sides of the issue before making her choice. She took a deep breath. She'd made it.

 

     "Hunk and I... We've been working on some tech of this mission. It's this op that-"

     "Wait, stop stop stop. Is this info you're supposed to be sharing?"

     Not the response she's expected.

     "Uh, well... Not technically."

     "Then don't. I don't wanna mess with anything that's none of my business."

     "That'd be a first."

     "I like to be nosy sometimes, I won't deny that. But right now, I'm... I'm sorta busy. Up here." He pointed to his head.

     "Alright."

    

     He'd made the decision instead.

 

     "So, uh, back to the speech - how's yours coming along?"

     Lance picked up his notebook and pen. "It's coming along terribly. I've got the basic idea, but I just keep rambling whenever I try to write anything."

     "Let yourself ramble. Edit it later and keep the good parts."

     "I don't think there are any good parts."

     "Just try it out."

     "Or I could just wing it tomorrow."

     "Don't. What we say tomorrow may sway a country's cooperation."

     "No pressure." He clicked his pen.

 

     She pulled out her laptop and began typing her own speech. Her goal was to emphasize the possible technological advancements that could come out of a world-wide alliance against the Galra. The Garrison alone had made great strides by simply integrating tech; there were tons of brilliant minds out there that could help further, and the Garrison couldn't supply for every venture alone.

     The two sat together in silence for a while, each giving the other an occasional glance, unbeknownst to them. It was a strange sort of comforting, being able to sit and enjoy each other's company; simply being aware of the presence of someone they cared about.

     It was already late, but the hours were quickly passing them by, almost unnoticed. The earlier tension seemed distant by years, if not entirely nonexistent. There was a break in the silence every now and then, talking and aimlessly skimming through the books around them. At some point, Lance had moved next to her to show her something he'd found. He never moved back to his original spot on the floor, and in time, Pidge fell asleep slumped against his shoulder. He didn't mind. Sitting back, he put an arm around her - _strictly a matter of comfort,_ he told himself - and allowed his own head to fall back and stare into nothingness. Just before he himself gave in to his heavy eyelids, Pidge was suddenly awake again.

 

     _That was kinda... nice. Hm. It's good to have her back._

    "Ugh, sorry," she sat up and rubbed her eyes, not noticing the weight of Lance's arm quickly withdrawing.  "Did I interfere with your progress?"

     "I feel like that was a trick question."

     "No. What do you have so far?"

     "Nothing more than before you passed out."

     She stole a glance at his notebook, noticing for the first time that he'd been writing in Spanish.

 

     Whenever he studied, she recalled, he'd done it in English. He'd talk to himself and write quick reminders to himself, but otherwise his native language was unused during their time as cadets. It was easy to forget that he was bilingual. Why was he using it now? Was he delivering it that way? She didn't bother asking.

     Lance moved to lay on his stomach, resting his head in one hand and holding his pen in the other, his notebook and a book on public speaking both opened before him. She found it interesting that, even with the available convenience of technology, he insisted on using paper. He'd doodle in the margins and, while he was an organized writer, he often wrote an outlying note here or there. His penmanship was neat, and despite using a pen, she saw no mistakes.

     She couldn't understand Spanish but remembered the many times his two set of grammar rules often got mixed up. His spelling wasn't phenomenal, either, and he sometimes misused words, and no one really had the heart to correct him. On rare juncture, he'd forget the English word for something, either repeating the Spanish translation or badly describing it until someone assisted him. It was almost cute, like a dog running at full speed, fumbling onto it's face, and then getting back up as if nothing had happened. She thought of Bae Bae and sleepily smiled.

     Lance yawned and lied his head down facing her.

     "You gonna go to bed?"

     "Are you?"

     "Not yet."

     "There's your answer."

     "Seriously, if this is to make up for lost time, it's not necessary."

     "Don't flatter yourself. I'm here because I want to be, not because you want me to be."

     He smiled. "I'm starting to think this is actually just about you being stubborn."

     "Ain't that just like me?"

     "... Don't say 'ain't'. It sounds so wrong coming from you."

     "Yeah, that felt weird saying that. I'm not doing that again."

     They shared a little laugh.

     "... I missed this."

     "Me, too."

     "Next time you go missing for days at a time, give me a heads up."

     "There isn't gonna be a 'next time'."

     "Sure there will. Maybe it'll be me. Stuff happens. That's just a fact of life. No hard feelings?"

     "Why would _I_ be upset with you?"

     "I yelled at you."

     "I started it."

     "Wrong."

     "I deserved it."

     "That's irrelevant."

     "How about that speech? Is it coming along at all?"

     "Way to change the subject. Well, I certainly have been rambling. I still don't have enough to piece together a groundbreaking speech."

     "You must have  _something_." 

     "I'm not a writer like you. Hunk told me you're good at this stuff."

     "Is he still finding ways to read my journal?"

     "I dunno. He never gives specifics."

     "I have _got_ to to hide it better. Ugh."

     "Write it in a language he can't understand."

     For a moment, she wondered if that's why he'd been writing in Spanish. What was he hiding? The question became unshakeable.

     "I'm not fluent in any other language."

     "Oh yeeaaahhh. And you can't just use some code 'cause that'll just encourage him to crack it."

     "Exactly."

     "Just learn a new language. Weren't you working on learning Altean?"

     "Yeah, a bit of _spoken_ Altean. I can't just 'learn a new language'. Maybe if I was ten years younger with more neuroplasticity, I-"

     "No no nope. No science while I'm half-asleep."

     "You're bilingual, so it seems easy to you. I'm not, so my brain doesn't learn new languages that easy."

     "Spanish is easy. Me and Veronica could help you practice."

     "It's easy because it's your native language."

     "Actually, English is also sorta my native language, too."

     "That's not how a native language works."

     "I've been speaking both for as long as I can remember. My dad's bilingual but English was his first, my mom knew a little bit, and the rest of her family is all Spanish-speaking. All five of the McClain kids are bilingual because of that. English from Dad, Spanish from Mom's family, and encouragement for both from Mom. Luis did the same thing with his kids. I'm gonna do the same with mine. Pick one up and you could do it with yours. It's not too late to start learning."

     "... Are you done?"

     "No. I have an idea. I'm going to teach you some Spanish, I'll take you down with me to see my family, and you might actually be able to understand some of what they say."

     "So you're fine with Veronica inviting me?"

     He gave her a weird look, still not lifting his head from the floor. "She invited you?"

     "... You didn't know?"

     "No. I thought it was just a family thing."

     "Wait... Then why did you just invite me?"

     He shrugged. "Why not?"

     "You thought it was a family thing; you just said that."

     "Look, less speculation, more learning."

     "What, b-"

     "A, B, C, C-H, D. Ah, bey, sey, chey, dey. Repeat that."

     "Lanc-"

     "Humor me, Pidge. I'll be asleep soon."

     "... Fine. Say it again."

     "A, B, C, C-H, D. Ah, bey, sey, chey, dey. Now you."

 

     They stayed conscious long enough to get through the alphabet and a few colors. They didn't bother trying to go back to their dorms before falling asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time and tide wait for no man...  
> So many opportunities slip through one's fingers.
> 
> What Lance wrote: [ Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16373534/chapters/38824811)


	9. All Roads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt and Hunk find Lance and Pidge asleep on the library floor. Matt wonders if something really is going on between them. Hunk messes with Lance while he's half-asleep.

     "Pidge? You in here?"

     "We need to settle a bet. Hunk is convinced that-"

     "Hey, I trust my research and experiences before anyone else's. That's all."

     "Whatever you say, but that doesn't mean that you're right."

     "Even if I'm wrong, that doesn't mean that you're right. Pidge, get out here and tell your brother he's wrong, just for the sake of saying it."

 

     Matt and Hunk strolled through the empty library. Typically, like everything in the academics wing, the library had strict rules and visiting hours to keep cadets out of trouble. However, with the V-Class clearance the paladins all had - which were really just S-Class, highest clearance, with the only access to the Lions' hangars - they could go anywhere, anytime, no restrictions. While the idea of such clearance being handed out to _children_ was initially met with some opposition, personnel was swiftly shut down by a reminder of their 'more or less salvation of the planet', as Colleen Holt had put it. The paladins were yet to truly take advantage of it, apart from late-night access to the mess after long hours or, like tonight, trips to places like the library.

     Less for research, more for the sake of familiarity, it was a hotspot for Pidge. In a time when the Garrison was at it's most crowed, it was difficult to escape other people - after hours anywhere was perfect. Tonight, it was Lance that brought her here, but Hunk hadn't expected him to still be here. The boys were both a little shocked to see both Red and Green paladins asleep on the floor.

     Lance was sprawled out, face down, surrounded by open books and a pen in his hand. His head was rested on an open, half-filled notebook page. Pidge was sitting, legs crossed, leaning against the shelf behind her. What really drew Matt's attention was that Lance's jacket had been draped over her like a blanket. It was a harmless, caring gesture, but something felt wrong about it. It seemed so out of place among the other observations he'd made of the two's interactions. Maybe Veronica really _did_ know what she was talking about.

     "It's like he was studying." Hunk picked up a few open books. "He hasn't studied from a book since the Garrison entrance exam, which... That had to've been at least five or six years ago Earth time."

     Matt took the books from Hunk, picking up a few more on the way, and set them on a table for the librarian to find and deal with. Upon his return, he found Hunk snooping in Lance's notebook, which he'd managed to pull out from under his head.

     "What are you doing?" He thought of his sister's mention of Hunk reading her diary and, while he had gotten some important information out of it, there had been a _serious_ invasion of privacy; he hoped he wasn't witnessing another.

     "I just wanted to see what he was writing. It's all in Spanish, though."

     "He's from Cuba, right? It makes sense he'd write in his native language."

     "Not here. He writes in English if he's trying to remember it in English. Study technique of his. This is probably personal or something."

     "Letter to home?"

     "Nah, he'd just call from his Lion."

     He flipped through a few pages."Wait, I think I got it. You won't like it."

     "What? Why?"

     "He's totally writing a love letter to Pidge."

     "...Really?"

     "No. He was working on his speech. He mentions her a few times in here, though. Names don't convert so it's pretty obvious." He pointed out a few examples, then flipped it closed. The back cover had been doodled on, clearly by more than one artist. _They even draw together; it's like a fairytale romance,_ he thought to himself, drifting to thoughts of Shay. He smiled and set it on the laptop on the floor.

     "Hunk?"

     "Yeah dude."

     "Do you think Lance might have feelings for Pidge?"

     He shrugged."Yeah, definitely. Why?"

     "How do you know?"

     "Because he doesn't try to flirt with her, impress her, anything like that."

     "... I'm not quite following."

     "There's a limited number of ways Lance treats people. Like friends, family, authority, enemies and strangers. Pidge doesn't really fit into any one category. Pretty much everyone fits in one of them, but the way he treats her... It's a whole new category. They fight, make up, mock and encourage each other in the same sentence... They even have this weird hand signal language-"

     "Do you think it's mutual?"

     Hunk scoffed. "Dude, just read her diary. Even one entry should be enough to answer that question."

     "You seriously have _got_ to stay away from her diary. She'll murder you one of these days."

     "She can't. I know so much I've become a valuable source of information to her."

     "So as soon as she's transferred that information to a drive, where do you suspect we'll find your corpse?"

     "Oh, I have no doubt that no one will ever find it."

 

       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

    Lance set down his pen. Pidge had fallen asleep halfway through learning her colors. He noticed her shiver, probably as a result of something she was dreaming about, but he took off his jacket and covered her with it, just to be on the safe side. Then he returned his attention to his writing.

 

     The next thing he remembered was Hunk's voice.

     "Really, though. I've done it dozens of times, I'm sure you can get away with it at least once."

     "I'm not reading my little sister's diary, Hunk."

 

     _Sounds like Matt's here too._ He yawned, making them both jump.

     "Quiznak, guys... people are trying to sleep, here."

     "That's what beds are for."

     He groaned as he sat up, shoving his pen in his pocket. "What time is it?"

     Hunk glanced at a clock. " 'Bout one-thirty in the morning."

     "Ugh." He shoved everything into Pidge's bag and dropped it into Hunks arms before carefully picking up his jacket and slipping it on. She stirred, her eyes just barely opening. Lance took a knee and pointed to his back. "C'mon, Sleeping Beauty. I'll give you a ride to your room."

     She climbed, half-asleep, onto his back, and was completely out again by the time he had stood up. He didn't see Hunk elbow Matt, nor did he hear him whisper, "See?"

 

     The trip to the Holt siblings' room was quiet and relatively short. Matt scanned his card at the door and it slid open. Lance slunk over to Pidge's bed, setting her down and pulling the covers over her. She made a small noise, as if trying to thank him, and shifted into a comfortable position, never actually being awake for any of it. Matt took her bag from Hunk, waving them both goodnight. The door slid shut again.

     Lance yawned and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Why were you two up, anyway?"

     "We were working on that Galra drone that you asked us to repair."

     "No, I mean, like, why were you in the library?"

     "Why were you?"

     "Like I told you before I left, I was working on my speech."

     "What was with Pidge and your jacket?"

     "She fell asleep, I used it as a blanket."

     "Why'd you write about her? What did your writing say?"

     "Man, what is this, an interrogation? Ask me all this junk when I'm actually awake."

     They turned the corner and Lance scanned his card at the wrong door. A cadet's door opened to reveal three girls sitting on the floor, now all staring at them. Hunk quickly shoved the semiconscious boy aside, profusely apologizing to the girls, who were more confused than anything else. When he turned around, Lance had scanned another wrong door near the end of the hall. Luckily, this time it was just a janitor's closet.

     "Lance, no,that's not-"

     A head of dark hair slumped against Hunk's arm. "Carry me to our room. My legs are asleep."

     "I think a lot more than just your legs are asleep." He slung him over his shoulder like a ragdoll; luckily Lance wasn't as heavy as he'd expected, and he managed to get him to the room without much trouble. He'd hung limply on his shoulder until being tossed onto his bed. Landing face down into a pillow, he gave his roommate a muffled 'thanks'.

     Ten minutes after they'd turned the lights off, Hunk heard a soft voice from across the dark room. He couldn't make out exactly what it had said.

     "What do you want, Lance?"

     "I said, why were you telling Matt to read her diary?"

     "He wanted proof of something."

     "Of what?"

     He thought for a second. "...Proof of... Pidge liking someone."

     He gave a strained, airy laugh. "Her? No. Nope. She only experiences anger and sass. No room for love in that tiny heart..." He trailed off mumbling."

     "You're not actually awake, are you?"

     "Yes," he replied; he was talking in his sleep. Hunk could tell.

     "Good. I want an honest answer from you."

     "Kay."

     "You like Allura, right?"

     "Sorta."

     "But you said you were going to give it up because she's clearly not into you, right?"

     "Mm-hm."

     "So do you like someone else?"

     "I dunno."

     "It would be easier on you if you found someone who possibly liked you back."

     "Probably."

     "You're not awake, right?"

     "..."

     "Lance?"

     "Hm?"

     "You should ditch Allura for Pidge."

     "Mn."

     "Will you do that, subconscious Lance?"

     "Mm-hm, sure."  


     "Really?"

     "..."

     "Lance?"

     "..."

     "You asleep?"

     "..."

     Hunk shut his eyes, but smiled to himself. This was something he'd done before; he'd speak to Lance while he was speaking in his sleep, messing with whatever dream he was having. He'd plant an idea this way, and later, Lance would remember it as a dream or his own thoughts. Only time would tell if this would work as well as his past successes. Typically he did it to help him pass an exam, getting him to remember that _one thing_ he just could never get right.

      He'd never tried to meddle with his feelings before. He was excited to observe the outcome of his little experiment.

      Well, whether it worked or not, they'd get stuck together anyway. No one else would be able to put up with them for a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All roads lead to Rome...  
> But perhaps 'Rome' isn't the right name to use here.
> 
> What Lance wrote: [ Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16373534/chapters/38824811)


	10. An Ounce of Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge uses a translator to snoop on Lance's speech writing - and ends up reading something Lance didn't want her to. Now he's got to save face and endure her reaction, while Veronica makes an announcement that sets the paladins on edge.

     Two tired blue eyes blinked open, slowly focusing on their surroundings. Lance sat up, stretching and yawning.

     "Good morning."

     He shot out of bed, stumbling straight down onto the floor. She lifted the blanket away from his face, her golden brown eyes staring lazily down at him.

     "Crow, you're jumpy today."

     "Pidge, why are you in here?!"

     "I brought you breakfast. Actually, it's more like lunch, given that it's eleven and you've overslept."

     "You brought food?"

     She pointed to a plate piled with four slices of cold pizza. "Matt and I went out this morning and brought some back. This is what's left."

     He climbed back into his bed, taking the plate. He examined a slice.

     "Is this pineapple on a supreme pizza?"

     "Yeah, so?"

     "Pineapple doesn't belong on pizza," he said, shoving the entire thing into his mouth. Pidge sat on Hunk's empty bed, watching him eat. On his final slice, she broke the silence.

     "So, ah... I kinda snooped in your notebook earlier. It was in my bag from last night."

     "Good thing it was in Spanish, ya little sneak." 

     "Well..."

     He swallowed the last bite. "You used some gadget to translate it, didn't you?"

     "Uhm... Yeah."

     "You and Hunk both need a lesson in personal property and privacy." He set the plate back and began brushing crumbs off of himself.

     "Well I just... Did you mean what you said, er, wrote?"

     "What do you mean? Is it bad? Too cheesy? I told you it was no go-"

     "No not your... Nevermind. It's not important right now." She tossed the notebook across the room to him. "Keith wants us all at the Blue lion's cave asap. Don't be late." She stood. "And seriously consider taking a shower. You won't have time to later."

     She walked out, the door sliding shut behind her. Lance opened his notebook and skimmed through the pages. He'd rambled a lot, just as he'd told her. But as he'd become more and more exhausted and out of it...

 

     "Oh, no. No no no no no. Oh, quiznak."

     He read it over carefully. He began mumbling his disbelief at what he'd written while half-asleep.

     "No no no. No ningún no... Esto no puede ser real... Pidge leyó todo esto... Tan muerto... Estoy _tan_ muerto."

 

     He hadn't noticed the door slide open, nor Veronica walk in and sit on Hunk's bed.

 

     "¿Algo mal?"

     "Don't."

     "What? Did you make Pidge angry again? What've you done that's so outlandish she'd kill you over it?"

     "Listen, I really need to go somewhere right now. Paladin stuff. I'm gonna need you to leave."

     "Yeah, I know, I-"

     He'd already begun shoving her out the door, closing it quickly.

     "Thanks for the hospitality!" She said through the door, clearly not going anywhere.

     The door opened again. Lance was clearly not amused.

     "By the way, I'm leaving early, so you're going to have to find another ride."

     The door slid closed once more.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

     The Red lion made a rough landing just outside the mouth of the cave, letting Lance out of it's mouth to hurry and catch up with the green paladin who'd clearly already arrived. He had been banking on the fact she'd be the first one to show up, since she'd had to bring a photographer to capture images of the cave to show at the meeting later, but he'd not expected her to already be here. He silently prayed that whoever she'd brought, they could be easily distracted with their job. He wanted his hasty explanation and defense to be contained in a private discussion. He still had no idea how he'd explain or defend himself, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

     "Pidge! Hey! I need to talk to y-... Uh, hey-hi Mrs. Holt. Nice to see you again."

     He'd also not expected that her mother would be the acting photographer. Now both sets of eyes were on the Redder-than-usual paladin.

     "It's just Colleen. No need to be formal with me. If you two want to go on ahead..." She nudged her head in her daughter's direction.

     "Thanks, Mom, we'll be right back." She quickly grabbed his wrist and gave her mom a little wave, as if to say 'don't worry, I won't hurt him'.

     The moment they had gotten out of her earshot, Pidge stopped and let go. "What do you want?"

     "Well, geez, if I'm bothering you-"

     "Sorry, that came off wrong." She took a deep breath to restart. "What is it that has you beckoning my presence, o Lance of the Red Vo-"

     "Okay, wow, I get it. Can I just explain myself before you get violent, at least?" he relaxed a little, running his hand through his hair, putting the other on his hip. "So... How much did you read?"

     "Well, I read the part where you were babbling about your future family..."

     "Okay."

     "And the part where you transitioned to talking about _my_ future family, the 'lucky' guy I'd marry, and the part where you started dragging on and on about how it was strange that such a pretty name belongs to such a 'vicious little gremlin', which somehow circled back to you complimenting me-"

     "Alright, alright!"

     "-and of course that's not to mention the section about the whole, and I quote, 'numerous times we've saved each other' and 'I wonder if we're even at this point'."

     "Pidge, listen-"

     "Oh, and who could forget the _legendary_ lines, 'seeing her in that photo again made me wish I'd known her longer. I hate to imagine a face like that crying over the loss of her family'-"

     "OKAY!" His shout echoed a bit. "Listen, I get that was a roller coaster of compliments and insults and speculation and crow knows what else, but I was half-asleep when I wrote that stuff! Don't take any of it the wrong way; it's not like I thought someone else would end up reading it. And you're the one who encouraged me to ramble! This is where it ended up!."

     "So, what you're telling me is, you, in your most honest state with no fear of anyone reading your writing, said all of that?"

     "... Alright, that sounds worse when you say it like that. But-"

     She laughed, to Lance's surprise. "I'm just messing with you. I get it. Besides, did you really think I'd be mad at you for writing that? I'm fully aware that I am a 'vicious little gremlin' and everything else. And even if you meant it, why would I be angry at getting complimented? Sure, it's kinda weird coming from you, but it's not like you don't do it to every other thing on two legs, right?"

     "... Right," he said cautiously.

     She turned serious again. "Seriously, though, there was something in there that did bother me."

     "Oh, quiznak, what else did I say?"

     "You wanted to know if I really thought that saving you was worth the trouble."

     "Oh. That. I-"

     She put a hand over his mouth. "No, you did this for me, and I'm going to do it for you. That's what friends do, right? Let me be a good friend."

     A muffled sound came out from under her hand."You're doing a fine job of it so far."

     "Listen up, I saved you because you are worth saving. Not because it was easy, not because it's my job, and certainly not so you'd owe me later. You thought I was worth the hassle; why wouldn't I think the same of you? I knew you were worth it because you believed I was worth it. That's friendship. I may be a tough person to be friends with, but I'm loyal whether you like it or not. You want to keep score, fine. But don't let that be the reason that you've got my back."

     She removed her hand.

     "I feel like that was a threat."

     "If all our friendship is to you is some life-or-death round of bingo, then yes, it was a threat."

     "Life-or-death bingo?"

     "You get what I mean. If you doubt me, you're doubting your own choices. Have a little faith."

     "Aren't you sort of opposed to relying on that, since you're like, a scientist?"

     "Faith is what got me to the other side of the universe and back. It's what drove me to find my family. Science can't explain everything, as much I hate to admit it. In any case, half of science _is_ faith."

      He gave a small smile of thanks, even though hers could have been confused for scorn.

      "...Hey, I get it. I was just tired, and probably feeling a little-"

      "-Insecure?"

      "No."

      "Insecure."

      "No!"

      She nodded thoughtfully.

     "... Insecure. Got it."

      "Pidge, I swear to-"

 

     "You two going to join the rest of us out here, or does your lover's quarrel need a few more minutes?"

     "Wait, Veronica?" Lance and Pidge returned to where they'd left Colleen. There were now a total of 8 people in the cave; all five paladins, Shiro, Veronica, and Colleen. 

     "We all just got here. Thanks for ditching me, by the way."

     "Whatever. You're supposed to be briefing us for the meeting tonight, right?"

     She grinned mischievously, and Shiro gave an apologetic look.

     "Actually, since Shiro will be occupied as a leader and pilot of the Atlas, Commander Holt appointed me to be your new handler. So rather than a typical briefing, we'll be going over some things regarding your behavior and things like that. I'm not going to babysit you, but as your handler I am essentially your P.R. management. Nothing is going to get past me without me knowing."

      She gave a cold, detached look at the group. "Don't bother trying to sneak around or keep secrets while I'm not looking. Because I assure you," she adjusted her glasses, "I'm _always_ looking."

     Pidge and Hunk exchanged glances.

     "If you've got nothing to hide, there's nothing to be worried about. But if you've _got_ something to hide," she looked directly at Keith as she spoke, "I highly suggest you distance yourself from that little venture."

    

\--END ACT ONE-- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure...  
> A little tough love can't actually hurt, right?
> 
> (Really though, she's got her work cut out for her. She's gotten a list of complaints already, including one from three girls in the cadet dorms...)
> 
> What Lance wrote: [ Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16373534/chapters/38824811)


	11. Iceberg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance works under Hunk's guidance to fix something special to Pidge. Hunk and Pidge worry about what set off Veronica on their way to the alliance meeting.

    Lance sat cross-legged on his bed, attempting to work on a small drone. Hunk sat on the floor beside him, overseeing the process.

    "Now connect the power source there. Nope... There. It should be stationary now."

    Lance shook it a little. It stayed in place. He grinned.

    "I did it! Well, the new battery anyway."

    "You did do most of the designing, too. Give yourself some credit there."

    "You and Matt had to revise it like crazy, though. I'm not sure that counts."

    "No, we just cleaned it up so it would fit together. You're no engineer, but you're a fast learner."

    "And you're sure it'll work?"

    "Like I said, give yourself some credit. We looked over everything before we started reprogramming and building the new stuff."

    "Moment of truth, I guess." Lance took a deep breath and activated the drone, closing the outer shell.

    The two boys sat in silence while waiting for it to turn on.

 

    Nothing.

 

    "I knew it. I messed something up."

    "No you didn't. Let me see it." He took it from his lap and reopened the shell. Lance flopped backwards onto his pillow, a movement his armor didn't quite agree with.

 

    They'd been cooped up in their room for hours now, as Veronica had instructed them to. The conversation regarding their behavior had not been pleasant. He'd protested her regulations, claiming they hadn't done anything to provoke such measures. She'd responded by flipping to a page on her clipboard and reading off security reports and complaints.

    "Lance, at one-thirteen this morning, your card granted you access to a cadet dorm housing three girls. They reported it this morning to Iverson. Then, at one-fifteen, your card granted you access to a staff storage closet, which you then left open. A C-Class room made accessible to D-Classers out of carelessness."

     "Wh- I was half asleep!"

    "Hunk, at twelve-fifty-eight this morning, your card granted you access to the library. You were the last to enter and exit the room. The librarian complained about the books you'd thrown astray across the floor and tables. Our security cameras also picked up visual of you slinging Lance over your shoulder and hauling him off."

    "The books were Lance. And that's hardly something I could get in trouble for."

    "False. You broke multiple rules in regards to the library incident, and security alerted guards of a suspicious persons report in the cadet halls."

    "Hang on-"

    "Pidge, security has caught you sneaking in and out of labs on numerous occasions, as well as the med bay. Security wasn't able to detect what you've been carrying in and out of these rooms, but it's obvious that you are."

    She gave a look clearly displaying her concern.

    "Keith, security has had endless complaints regarding Kosmo's teleportation into the middle of meetings and labs. You've been previously informed of said complaints, and were caught on camera openly admitting that you couldn't care less. With much harsher language."

    He said nothing.

    "Allura, you've been spotted numerous times removing items from the archives without consulting the archivists on call."

    "I didn't mean t-"

    "These are the smallest complaints that I've compiled on all of you this past week. I don't care what the circumstances are, nor do I care how petty these issues sound. The important thing is that we've received complaints at all, and that they've been fairly constant."

 

    Lance sighed, shifting to his side. Keeping up appearances was much, much harder than they'd thought. It hardly seemed like they'd done anything worth complaining about, yet each of them now had several misdemeanors on record that Veronica was working to erase. It felt surreal. After all the work they'd done protecting this place, people had some nerve whining about their actions.

    "Did you figure it out?"

    "I think you mixed up these two wires." He handed it back to him. "Switch them and you should be in business."

    He followed Hunk's instructions, then sealed the shell again. Setting it down, they waited for a response.

 

    It let off a green glow before lifting off the bed, hovering as though it had never been damaged.

 

    "... It's perfect. You think she'll think so, too?"

    "I think the fact you managed to salvage him and bring him back online with your own hands will be more than enough to win her over."

    Lance smacked his shoulder. "Don't you start on that, too. I'm not trying to get anything out of this."

    "Why did you insist on putting it together yourself?"

    "I should learn how to do this stuff anyway. I'm not as good as you or Pidge, but I gotta start somewhere."

    "Sure, but why? Because it seems like you're trying to impress her."

    "No! Why is it so strange that I'd want to learn how to do this? I just wanted to surprise her is all. I know she loved the little guy."

    "Where'd you find him, anyway?"

    "I was helping Coran with some stuff on the castle. We found Haxus' body, spaced him before anyone else would have to see it. It was... Gruesome at best. The smell... I'm not gonna forget that. At least something good came of it."

    "When are you going to give it to her?"

    "I don't know. Tonight will be a bit hectic, plus I want to do some troubleshooting before showing him off."

    "So, you're saying you're waiting for the 'right time'...?"

    "Stop making this sound like some stupid rom-com."

    "So you're not going to deny it?"

    "I'm not going to stoop to your level."

 

     A knock was heard from the other side of the door. "You two ready?"

     Lance hurriedly grabbed the drone and turned it off, shoving it under his pillow whilst whispering a quick apology. "Yeah, we're ready."

     Their door slid open. Pidge stood alone outside of it. "Veronica already headed down with Keith and Allura. But... I wanted to ask you guys something."

     "Yeah? What's up?"

     "What do you think Veronica would do if she found us doing something she didn't like? Keeping secrets from her and things like that."

      Lance shrugged. "Probably go to Shiro and your dad. Then, depending on who it was and what they did, she'd hurt the offender accordingly. Really, though, I don't think there's anything we've done that would actually set her off. A dog that's busy barking can't bite you at the same time."

      "That's... Surprisingly wise of you to say."

      "I'm offended that you'd even say that."

      "You shouldn't be. You probably stole it off an inspirational poster."

      "You're just making it worse. C'mon, we've got speeches to butcher."

      He lead them down the hall towards the entrance. Hunk and Pidge whispered to each other about what could have set her off.

 

     "I don't think she'd actually hurt us. Best guess - she found the tracking receiver."

     "She probably found the whole room."

     "Nah, she wouldn't meddle. But if she stumbled across the tracker..."

     "We'll talk about this later. No doubt Keith is going to call a meeting about it."

     "And here I thought tonight would be nice and laid back."

     "No jokes tonight, Hunk. Crow only knows what will happen if something goes wrong tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the surface, only 10% of the iceberg is visible...  
> The other 90% is where the unseen trouble lies.


	12. Pens and Swords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paladins deliver their prepared speeches to the attendees of the alliance meeting.  
> Turns out Lance's was all improv.

     "I'm Keith, half-human, half-Galra. I am the paladin of the Black lion, and the head of Voltron. There's no other way to say this - we're at war, plain and simple. The next attack could happen at any time, but it's definitely on its way. That means that we have some, but limited, time to _re_ pair and _pre_ pare. By siding with Voltron, you'll be joining a coalition of experienced soldiers an engineers with extensive expertise and vast amounts of knowledge of what we're up against. We know how we're going to fight back. Casualties of unprepared and uninformed areas will be great. Whether or not you join us, Voltron and our allies have already sworn to defend this and any other planet to our dying breath. But with every new ally, we can only grow stronger and smarter, and perhaps one day, unbeatable. We've warred among ourselves countless times. We've been through three world wars. It's only natural to see each others' differences. But right now, we need to focus on the big picture; the thing that's threatening all of us. The empire that we're up against thinks that we're an easy target because of our division. We have got to bury any and all hatchets, at least long enough to come together and prove to them that we are _not_ an easy target. We need to prove that we are not a people to be doubted. Once we've reached that level of unity, they aren't going to stand a chance against us."

     "I'm Hunk, I'm from Malotuto'atasi o Samoa, and I fly the Yellow lion, Voltron's left leg. Uh... I know a lot of you are probably scared. I know I am. There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding this whole situation, no doubt about it. I mean, we don't even know when or where the next attack will be. What we do know is what sort of people they are. They're smart and technologically advanced. They've got numerous warlords, each with thousands of loyal soldiers. Plus, they've got the element of surprise. On the surface, it looks pretty pointless to fight them. But everything that they've got, we've got more. We can outsmart them, integrate tech from several galaxies and use their own weapons against them. We have so many allies already, even a coalition base on a planet called Olkarion, and each group is lead by noble commanders. And maybe we don't have the element of surprise, but we do have the home-front advantage that's won so many wars in the past. Every time someone joins the fight for Earth, we're getting bigger and stronger. And yeah, like I said, it's scary, for all of us. That's exactly why we have to rely on our combined strength to not only overcome our fear, but win the war, too."

     "I am Princess Allura of the planet Altea, paladin of the Blue Voltron lion. I wish to thank you all for coming. As a non-terrestrial, I know very little of Earth's history, so allow me to share some of my own: my home planet was a beautiful, peaceful place. My father, King Alfor, was no stranger to creating diverse alliances. We saw our differences not as dividing walls, but as multiple skill sets to be combined to our advantage. The five paladins of old are long gone now, including my father, but through Voltron, that spirit of unity can live on. Every paladin before you is as unique as each one of your countries and cultures, and we've found a way to work together. I have no doubt in my mind that all of us have special skills and perspectives to bring forward, be it science, manpower materials or anything else. In coming together, we will be capable of doing anything. And we'll start by bringing home stories of our glorious victory against our adversaries."

     "I am Katie Holt, paladin of the Green lion and of Italian ancestry. A few years ago, my father, Commander Samuel Holt, my brother, Matthew Holt, and their pilot and friend, Commander Takashi Shirogane, all disappeared on a mission to Kerberos, one of Pluto's moons. They were all enslaved by the same enemy that torments us now. That was six years ago. Against all odds, and with the help of the Voltron coalition, not only did they live to tell the tale, but they were able to return to Earth and are here with us today. Without my father's work, Earth's defenses would have failed entirely. And he's only one man. The people we've brought together under Voltron are some of the brightest minds that this or any other world has seen. But, there are still so many people we've not even met who could make huge advances in not just technology, but science itself. With all these brilliant minds working as one, the possibilities to come out of it are endless.Travel, hospitals and care, rebuilding, weaponry, defense systems, and so much more. Out of the ashes f the last battle, we rose victorious. Now, not only could we outgun our contenders, but we could keep our own casualty rates down, save more people with fewer resources. Our advancements will not only secure a win for Earth, but a better world for generations to come. But all of this is only possible if we cooperate. We have to unite today, for the sake of our tomorrow.

     "I... I'm Lance. I'm from Cuba. I originally flew the Blue lion, but now I am the paladin of the Red lion. If there's anything that I've learned as a paladin, as a friend, a brother, and a son... It's that not everything is always clear cut, black and white. There's no correct path for anyone to take. We all start differently, coming from different backgrounds and forming unique perspectives, but... No matter what choices we've made in our past, we all end up in the same boat. We all have to coexist, whether we want to or not. The quality of the life you live is up to you. Things can be really hard sometimes. You can win, lose, love fight, accuse, deny, fear, want... And there's doing to be times that, in order to make the most of your life, you'll have to make sacrifices. We've all been making enormous sacrifices lately. We've lost people we care about, the cities we grew up in, and pieces of ourselves, whether it's a limb or our peace of mind. It's because of these sacrifices that we're alive. We have the power to build off of each other, to save lives, change the course of history... But... So many of us simply don't care or can't envision the future as easily as others. We just don't want to have to keep making these awful sacrifices. We don't want to lose anyone else. I could never ask someone to fight for something they don't believe in, but this war isn't just about some distant future. It's about us, our cities, our families. We're all in danger. We're all scared. No matter how much we prepare, something could always go wrong. But each and every last one of us has something to protect. Some _one_ to protect. I'm fighting for the ones that I love; for my friends and family's sake. Some of them are fighting beside me for mine. It's time to decide who you're going to fight for, and get to it. If we all join forces, we can all save each other."

 

  
     The paladins had delivered their speeches one by one, and when finally being able to retreat, they let go of the the breath they didn't know they'd been holding.  
     "I feel that that went rather well." Allura gave a relieved sigh.  
     Lance placed on hand on his hip and ran the other through his hair. "Thank crow I was able to wing that."  
     Pidge and Hunk both stared him down.  
     "... What?" He glanced back and forth between the two of them.  
     They replied in unison:  
     Hunk said, rather simply, "You improv'd that entire thing? There's no way."  
     Pidge was far more flustered.

     "All that time to prepare, and you _didn't?!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pen is mightier than the sword...  
> Perhaps the pen could _empower_ the sword as well.  
>  Or the spoken word, at any rate.


	13. Number 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paladins get to interact with Ambassadors and representatives of countries around the world. In the process, Allura gets some shocking news about the missing Altean Colony.

     Lance checked himself out in the mirror one last time. Veronica had left out new uniforms on each of their beds, each matching their armor as opposed to the traditional Garrison grey and orange. They were crisp and clean, freshly ironed and quite comfortable since they'd been tailored to fit them perfectly. The new uniforms displayed their official A-Class rank, rather than their S- and V-Class clearance rank. Upon returning to the event hall, they spotted Shiro in a matching black one, showing his S-Class rank - Something it was rather easy to forget he had. S-Classers were commanders and the like. His transformation into a position of power had been the near-opposite of Allura's; while she'd kept her title of 'Princess', she clearly had no real power over anything. 

     "Did anyone else expect... Maybe, classical music and dancing?"

     Pidge rolled her eyes. "Hunk, it's an alliance outreach, not a showing of Romeo and Juliet."

     "No, I kinda imagined that, too. I mean, people _were_ calling it a gala..." Lance attempted to get a good look at the crowd.

     " 'Gala' was short for 'Galactic Alliance'. This is _war_ , guys. You really expect to find soldiers in ballgowns or tails?"

     The boys shrugged. "Yeah, why not?"

     "Because, it's-! Nevermind. Go find your reps."

     Many representatives could speak some form of butchered English, but most had an interpreter as their side regardless. A few countries had sent their official Ambassadors rather than honorees or temporary representatives, despite the Garrison's warnings that they'd been the epicenter of the most recent attacks. Both the Cuban and Japanese embassies had sent gifts for the paladins, including local delicacies and culturally fashionable attire. Pidge and Allura had both received jewelry, and Veronica had encouraged them to each wear something. Pidge settled on a necklace, and Allura wore earrings. Despite the impracticality of wearing such things with their uniform, it did greatly please the Ambassadors, and many others noted their respect and appreciation of their cultures. They'd not seen the need for a handler before, but as the night progressed, they all realized the importance of their appearance. Even the princess, who knew the better part of diplomacy was to look the part, found it shocking just how seemingly obsessed some of their guests were with flawless mannerisms and modest yet elegant attire. Veronica had truly mastered the art, even though she'd just seemed pushy at the time.

     Shiro, Lance and Hunk slipped rather easily into conversations with their native country's representative without a language barrier. Very quickly, Lance was flocked with a dozen Spanish-speaking reps, ecstatic to escape their interpreters and have a simple conversation with a paladin. Allura, Pidge and Keith didn't have the convenience of knowing a second language, and had to do their best with the translators available. By announcing their ethnic background, Allura and Keith had both begun to receive attention from curious reps who hadn't seen a half-breed, nor such a humanoid alien. As for the little Green paladin, several engineers had arrived alongside representative parties, and now encircled her and her father with no chance of getting out of it. The line between respected leader and major celebrity was trampled on for the entirety of the event.

     They did come off as geniuses when asked questions about Voltron, the Galra, other alien races and technology - the answers they gave came from familiarity rather than pure intellect, but their audience seemed none the wiser.

     "How well do you think Voltron would fare in worldly, country against country wars?"

     "Hypothetically speaking, the technology definitely outranks pretty much anything you can find on Earth. If Voltron was ever, again, hypothetically, in something like a World War 4, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the other side would be toast. Realistically, though, Voltron would never be used to fight that sort of battle; that's just not what it's for, and we don't intend to use it that way."

     "You've flown both the Red and Blue lions. Would you say that pilots with experience in current Earth shuttles would have enough experience to fly a lion?"

     "It's completely different technology, and each lion preforms differently, so even if you read the manuals,  mastered a simulator or even flew another lion, sitting in the cockpit of another is pretty foreign. Being a pilot-in-training certainly helped me, but previous training isn't the only thing required. The tech in the lions is less hands-on and more mind-space, if that makes sense. Preparing mentally, I would say, is far more important to a paladin's training than anything else."

     "Princess Allura, it's been rumored that your people are very gifted alchemists. Is that true?"

     "Ah, yes, I understand that alchemy is not something humans have managed to master yet. The Alteans were indeed quite skilled, I myself am very well-versed. My father was a far better alchemist, though - the Voltron lions were built with the aid of his skills. Altean alchemy is quite different from humans' attempts, however; other races have different ways of doing the same things."

     "Commander, your daughter speaks highly of your work - do the two of you ever work together on these sorts of projects?"

     "Actually, I've done a lot of projects on my own; I was able to upgrade the Green lion's defenses as well as numerous shuttles. I've more or less figured out cloaking with Altean tech, although it is difficult to replicate. I'm currently supervising a team of engineers working on scouting shuttles with a form of this technology, but it's not something we plan to release to the public or allow anyone less than high-ranking pilots to operate. Much of alien tech can be temperamental when integrated, so using this tech isn't something anyone but Garrison experts should even attempt to replicate."

     "Commander, is it true that you lost your arm in alien experiments?"

     "Actually, I was injured while being held prisoner, and my captors decided to replace my entire arm for their own purposes. I lost the prosthetic in a fight. I returned to the Garrison without it. Allura built this new one from the bases that Commander Holt had started creating for soldiers. We're hoping to fit more people who've lost limbs with these upgraded versions and perhaps create a non-military model for everyday civilians."

     "So, you're half-Galra? Would you say that your alien genetics have an effect on your human genetics in terms of health or physical performance?"

     "It's less about who my parents are and more about how they raised me. Galra have longer lifespans, and may be a bit more durable, but ultimately it's got everything to do with how you train and how early you start. Kids who start strong aren't going to lose that easily, and the earlier you start the longer it's going to last."

    As allies from other planets began to truly mix with the human reps, the paladins slowly felt the focus shift from them. Their conversations became shorter and more polite than investigative. Allura spotted a beautiful Galra woman, dressed in elegant robes and face framed with wavy, light purple locks of hair. She glided from person to person, seemingly speaking every language fluently, or at least comfortable enough with others to appear that way. Allura seemed to catch her eye, and she said her goodbyes to her conversational partner before approaching the princess.

     "Hello, madam. I am Princess Allura of-"

     "Princess Allura of Altea. The pleasure is mine, I assure you." She gave a small bow.

     "Are you here with the Blade?"

     "No, I'm here as an Ambassador of the Seronian Empire. I understand the mistake, though. I don't imagine you get many other Galra here, especially not mixed-breeds."

     "Mixed breed?"

     The woman looked around for a moment, checking for onlookers as she brushed a lock of hair away from her cheek, revealing an Altean marking.

     Allura's eyes widened. "Who... Who are you?"

     The woman moved the hair back in place. "I'm simply a Seronian Ambassador. Nothing more."

     "My... Apologies, but I don't believe I've heard of Seronia."

     "That's perfectly understandable. Our Empress works hard to protect the secrecy of... Well, all of us. She's created a safe haven to harbor other half-breeds, like myself, who've been targeted by the Galra. It was a practice started generations ago by our humble Suzerain Lotor."

     Allura felt as though she'd been shot.

     "Worry not, Princess. You have an ally in Seronia. That, I assure you." As she passed Allura, she whispered to her, "We shall meet again, on better terms than today's. Goodbye, Allura."

     The Ambassador disappeared into the crowd.

     Allura rushed out of the event hall and spoke into her earpiece, hoping the others would be able to hear over the noise of the event.

     "This is Allura. I have news regarding the missing Alteans."

     " _~This is Keith. Allura, go ahead.~_ "

     "They're alive. They're all safe."

     " _~How do you know?~_ "

     "Because I just spoke with one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Number 13: the first film directed by Alfred Hitchcock - it was not only left uncompleted, but the script has gone missing, the plot forgotten, all footage lost; historians are eager to get their hands on it
> 
> See any parallels?


	14. Flight of the Swallow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith spends time training with VP6. The new paladin's bayard weapon is revealed, and so is their innate ability to wield it.

     "You were tracking me."

     "Yes."

     "And you left the receiver out where someone could find it."

     "No, it was in the _lab_."

     "A lab that an _S-Class badge_ was able to open."

     "... Yep."

     "Did you learn anything from that experience?... You're the leader. You have to be ready for breaches in the operation's security."

     Keith said nothing.

 

     The Black paladin had brought VP6 out to the Blue lion's cave immediately following the end of the gala. It was dark, but early in the morning rather than the late-night time slot he'd hoped for. It light of recent events, the training session they'd planned doubled as a second operation briefing.

 

     "Have you at least cleared things up?"

     "I informed Commander Holt of the breach. If anyone else comes snooping around, we'll be ready. Now there are, _for sure_ , only 6 badges with access to that door, including your own. I suppose on the first round of security, the Commander was a little too focused on the wrong McClain."

     "You can't afford to make mistakes like that again. None of us can. Especially when you're inviting three-hundred-plus strangers into your base."

     "That brings me to the next thing. 'Code-VP6BR3'; if Commander Holt or Shiro call that code, that means I've been compromised. If the code is 'VP6BR3-T', that means whoever called it believes I'm still alive. In any other call, assume that I'm not."

     "And if neither of them call it?"

     "Hunk, Allura and Pidge can - they all have channel access to your comm, which is receiver-only. The comm in your armor is two-way and connected to the other 5 sets in our armor. I don't know if Shiro's going to continue using his armor, so don't assume you'll be able to reach him from there. But if you receive a message from any of the others, take it seriously and immediately check in once you've suited up with all of your gear. After that, get to your lion."

     "How will I know which one's mine?"

     "It'll tell you. Whether that's going to be in the form of a roar or a direct connection, only time will tell. But either way, you'll know. For now, we've got to focus on your training. I know you know how to fight, but we've got to get you used to whatever weapon your bayard presents you with. Have you tried it out yet?"

     "No."

     "Well, now's the time."

 

     They held up the purple bayard. After a few seconds, it began to glow and shift. The mass stretched to a length almost equal to their height, and upon the fading of the light, a blade was visible on either end on a long staff.

     "... _Whoa_."

     "I've... never seen anything like it before. I'd say it's a Galra weapon by the design of it, but..."

     "I think I've seen a picture of one of these in a book... It's called a naginata, I believe... This one has two blades, though. They're usually crafted with one."

     "Do you know how to use it?"

     "... Very carefully?"

     Keith shook his head, but gave a little smile. "I assume you'd use it the way you would a staff."

     "A bo staff is something that I _am_ familiar with. Observe."

     Before he had the chance to brace himself, VP6 had used it to knock his feet out from under him. He looked up from the ground, shocked that he hadn't be able to counter the attack but not all-that surprised given his attacker. Standing, he dusted himself off.

     "Let's move closer to the center of the cave. Starting near a wall like this is going to give me a big advantage."

     The pair shifted to spots a bit further into the cave, passing some of the lion's markings.

     "Didn't you guys say you found the Blue lion after falling through a hole in the ground? Because I'm witnessing a stunning lack of hole here."

     "We noticed that earlier. It's like the ground healed itself. The lions have strange effects on their surroundings. In fact, I don't know for sure, but I think that the Blue lion's energy may have drawn the people who lived here to carve these. It arrived on Earth about ten-thousand years ago, and about the same time that archaic people started inhabiting the Grand Canyon. I'm not exactly sure why Alfor would have sent it to a desert, but I guess he tried to send it somewhere with a lot of water. It happened during the Northgrippian period, so there was a lot of flooding going on." He stopped when he saw the surprised look on their face. "What?"

     "I didn't take you as someone who would be interested in history."

     "Oh, you didn't read about that in my tragic backstory?"

     "Did... Did you just make a joke?"

     "How else would I get you off your guard?"

     "Wh-"

     It was as though his sword had come from nowhere, lunging at VP6's chest. They slipped out of the way at last second, dodging the blade but not escaping the attack entirely. He effortlessly switched directions of the swing, uppercutting the staff and sending it flying. The blades made a clattering sound as it hit the cave floor.

     Keith smirked. "Now the score's even. Something to remember about your weapon - it won't come to you like ours, but just because it's knocked from your hands doesn't mean it deactivates. You have to actively turn it off. Try it."

     They turned to look at the fallen staff. After a few moments, it began to glow and compact itself back into its original shape. After retrieving it, it transformed once more into the naginata. The pair began to edge along the perimeter of an invisible circle, watching and waiting for their opponent to strike. Naturally, Keith was the first to break into the fight.

     He swung down from overhead, the blow being blocked by the staff, in the space between where their hands were gripping it. It was a rush to feel the vulnerability, the vibrations the blade's contact sent through the length of the bayard. Using the momentum of the ricochet off the block, he swung down, around, and back up at a sholder-level angle.

     Blocked by the staff.

     A change in angle, slashing across the opposite direction.

     Struck down by one of the blades.

     VP6 followed the strike through, spinning their entire body around and then jabbing at Keith, who jumped back to avoid the blade. He, too, spun with his own weapon's momentum and slashed down, their blades _clang!_ ing on contact. He then struck upwards, using his sword to push VP6's blade up and over his own head. In the act, he left his stomach exposed once more; they shifted the staff to it's other end, dealing a blow with the flat edge of the blade. He stumbled back and they swung, forcing him to duck. They continued the motion back under Keith, intending to knock him down again. He'd learned from the earlier attack, jumping just above it. Raising his sword above his head while still in midair, he brought it down hard, striking the cave floor when VP6 swung the staff out of reach. The sound reverberated throughout the cave.

     His impetus forced him to tuck and roll, thankfully evading another high blow, but hardly giving him time to scoot out of the way of the one after that. It was clear they didn't plan on willingly granting him the opportunity to stand, forcing him to block attacks from his back on the ground. Leaning on his free hand, he managed to swing his legs around into a kneeling position and stood while blocking yet another overhead blow. Keith executed a mid-level strike, his arm traveling diagonally in front of him, intending to use the energy of the pull back. They dodged, rotating their naginata to deflect the attack he administered from the change in direction, leading his sword into a high 45-degree angle. He reversed directions again, going for a hasty wrath blow.

 

     His left side was open.

 

     VP6 swung the staff around, sending the blunt edge of the end blade for a target point on the left side of his stomach.

 

     _Contact._

 

     He was thrown back, ramming into the cave wall. He was cornered. Jumping in towards his opponent, he gave a high, desperate jab, in hopes they'd back away and give him space to maneuver.

 

     It was a failed attempt.

 

     As he landed, VP6 uppercut him in the collarbone. The armor saved him from the blade, which had been sharp-side-out, but he was thrown onto his back once more. He'd had the wind knocked out of him. Keith breathlessly watched as they spun the staff back around their body, effortlessly stopping the moment he felt the sharp metal against his neck.

 

     "I win."

 

     Only then did the purple paladin allow themselves to relax and try to catch their breath. Keith sat up, panting as well.

     "Ho-" Breath. "Where-" Breath. "Where did you-" Breath. "-learn that?"

     "While I was learning self defense, I had the chance to try one out. I was decent, but, obviously, it was all _de_ fense and no _o_ ffense. Years later, I used my defensive skills in a little practice sparring. My opponent decided to teach me how to fight for real. Not with something quite like this, but I can adapt fairly quick."

     "Well, you did pretty good. I didn't expect that sort of aggression from you."

     "It wasn't _my_ aggression that did you in. It was your own. You threw too much force into your blows and you attacked faster than you could block. The best offense is a good defense. If you put all of your energy into the attack, you leave yourself open to counterattacks. Not every move you make will be met with a simple block."

     He stood and stored his bayard in his armor. "Who's teaching _who_ , here?"

     "We have to learn from each other. That's the point of practicing with a living partner rather than a droid from a training hall."

     "Next time, I'll duel-wield. But until then I think it's best that we pair you up with someone that fights the same way, but using different weapon. Quick and clever, and doesn't need to rely on strength to incapacitate the opponent."

     "Pidge?"

     He nodded.

     "Pidge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Una hirundo non facit ver - One swallow does not make the summer..."  
> One fight won is not one war won.  
> Also the Altean thing will be addressed next chapter, I promise.
> 
> (I wrote this chapter by swinging a broom around like a staff and a spatula like a sword. I feel like the fact I do things like this is the reason I have no friends. Shout out to all the other lonely, _lonely_ writers that are fighting imaginary people for the sake of your art)


	15. Killing Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk fills Veronica and Matt in on the Altean encounter at the gala. Veronica storms off to question Lance about his death, leaving Hunk to pressure Matt to read Pidge's diary, right there, right then.

     "Wait wait wait, start over. Allura saw an Atean?"

 

     Hunk, Matt and Veronica sat together in the otherwise empty mess hall, each nursing a hot chocolate by the light flooding in from the wide entrance leading to the hall, since the actual Mess lights had been shut off hours ago. The gala had been over for hours, and since the other four paladins had gone to bed already, Hunk had taken it upon himself to inform the two siblings bout the earlier encounter.

     "She saw one of the Alteans from the colony that went missing. She was disguised as an Altean-Galra half-breed from 'Seronia'.

     "Seronia?" Matt set his mug on the table. "Where's that?"

     "Exactly. It's not anywhere. We checked eight quadrants just to be sure - there's not a single empire even close to being called 'Seronia'. Turns out, according to Romelle, 'Seronia' is an Altean name meaning 'peaceful' or 'haven'. Allura believes it was a message that confirms the Alteans are okay. There was an energy about her, similar to Romelle but amplified, something Allura says she hasn't experienced since the Patrulian Zone."

     "How is that possible? It's practically impossible to find and navigate, not to mention get out of."

     "How do you know it's the same colony as the one Keith found?" Veronica wiped off a drop of cocoa running down the side of her mug.

     "Well, we know for a fact 'Seronia' doesn't exist, but it's a name that was created within that colony - Allura hadn't heard of it, but Romelle had. She had to be Altean, not a half breed, because of her age. She was too young to be anything but a purebred. Alteans had died out everywhere but that colony thousands of years ago. But the biggest clue was the way she talked about Lotor. They saw him as their savior, some sort of royal entity they owed their lives to. The Ambassador gave the same impression of him. She said they've got a new empress, and she's protecting them like Lotor used to. Whoever she is, she knows who we are, where to find us, and that we've got at least one other Altean from the same colony."

     "What about numbers? If they were rescued, why did one attack us? She woke up a while ago, and she's said nothing, just sitting there while we run tests on her. She doesn't seem hostile, but she's clearly not wanting to cooperate. If everyone is still together, the new colony isn't any better than it was before. The Empress is still using them."

     "There's a few options we've laid out so far, none of them all-that-great." Hunk held up a finger. "Option one is that Lotor is alive, tried to reunite with the Alteans, and in the process he lost some of them to another person - maybe someone rescuing them. But he still has some of his own. The problem with that is that the Ambassador seemed to trust in the Empress as much as in Lotor, which doesn't suggest any sort of custody battle." He held up two fingers. "Option two: Haggar is the new empress, probably under the name 'Honerva'. She fits the bill. She's Altean and could gain their trust easily; she's Lotor's mother which adds to reason one; she knows who we are and where to find us; she's a quasi-magical being; and she probably knew where to find the Altean colony on her own. It fits her timeline and disappearance perfectly, and she knows where the Patrulian Zone is. If she's hiding them there, they'd be able to keep their location and existence under wraps easily, and it's possible she's tried to or has succeeded in getting into Oriande." He held up a third finger. "Choice three is a mixture of the first two. Lotor lost some of the Alteans to Haggar. The thing that attacked us with an Altean battery was a robeast. It had to be Haggar's, or at least Haggar's design. Whether she built it or not, someone's still using people-batteries." He set his hand down. "The last option is that whoever has the Alteans wants to use them as a sort of human shield, or leverage maybe. If the Empress makes an army of the colonists, they could fight us head-on fully expecting us not to fight back, because we don't want to hurt them. She could use them for some sort of ransom deal because, again, we're trying to keep them alive and unharmed. She could also try to use them to gain our trust and eventually back-stab us."

     Veronica pushed her mug aside and leaned in, talking with her hands. "Option four can be applied to any of them before it. Let's suppose Haggar and Lotor fought, split the colony, went their separate ways. Lotor could be continuing with his previous plans, and Haggar could be playing option four. The roles could also be reversed. It's safe to say that neither of them are good guys, and it's possible we have a third, unknown person on our hands. We can't even really trust the colonists if they show up, because they could be working for the enemy. How is any of this good news?"

     "There's a lot of variations, yeah, but at least they're alive."

     She sat back and picked up her mug. "I suppose that's true. We can save a traitor. We can't save a cadaver."

     "Allura's brought people back before, but yes, exactly."

     "I think it's safe to say Shiro was an anomaly we're not going to be able to recreate."

     "She brought Lance back after he was electrocuted to death. He's fine now."

     Her mug hit the table hard, some of the hot liquid splashing out. "Lance died? Electrocu- When?! Why wasn't I informed earlier?!"

     Hunk raised his hands in defense. "Hey, Pidge and me didn't know until the first briefing, and we were apparently there when it happened."

     Matt perked up. "Pidge did mention something about th-"

     Veronica cut him off. "Hold up a second, Holt. Hunk, why didn't he tell anyone he died?!"

     "I guess so we wouldn't worry about him."

     She checked her pockets, pulled out her purple S-Class badge, and shoved it back, just making sure she had it. She picked up her mug. "I'm going to talk to him."

     "He's asleep."

     "He won't be for long."

     She stormed off towards the living quarters.

 

     Hunk sighed, cupping his hands around his drink. "She and Lance even have the same temper..." He looked back to Matt. "Are all siblings just carbon-copies of each other these days? I mean, you and Pidge are probably even worse about it."

     "We both just act like our dad and look like our mom."

     "No, it's not just that. The first time I saw a picture of you two together, I confused you for her. If a single haircut makes people and aliens across the galaxies think you're the same person, there's a real issue. At least you guys are different heights now." He started to take a drink, but cut himself off halfway through, remembering something and pointing at Matt. "There's actually a couple entries on that. Hang on a tick."

     He produced a small book, setting on the table out of reach of Veronica's hot chocolate splatter, and started flipping through the pages. The handwriting was quite distinct, easily recognizable.

     "Hunk!" Matt hissed, "Why do you have that?"

     He shrugged. "She practically lets me read it at this point. There's a bunch on research notes I need out of here, so it's not solely for snooping."

     In a flash, he snapped up Pidge's diary. "Not cool. That's not okay."

     Hunk rested a cheek on his now-empty hand, which he'd curled into a fist. "It's a good read. She could be an author someday. I mean, the entries on Lance? Practically modern art, I'm telling you now."

     He watched Matt's scorn tun into hesitant curiosity, then held his mug up, shaking it in little circles and watching the foam in his drink swirl around. "If you're going to be a protective older brother, now's the time. We leave for Lance's house in the morning. If it were my baby sister, I'd want to know a little more about the guy she'll be sharing a room with all weekend." he took a drink. "But hey, that's just me. I guess there's nothing to worry about if there's nothing between 'em, right?"

     "I know what you're doing. It's not going to work. I'm not invading her privacy."

     "Scared you'll read something you'll wish you hadn't? She's no little girl, after all."

     Matt took a long drink to avoid having to answer.

     "Nah, I'm joking around. It's pretty PG. PG-13 at it's absolute worst, and mostly for language. That kid could get a sailor to cry." He stood up and tapped on the cover. "Seriously though, it'll answer a lot of your questions." He left with his mug in hand.

 

     Matt stared down at the diary on the table.

     His little sister's diary.

     He set down his mug, opening up the front cover.

 

_PROPERTY OF Katie Holt_

 

The curiosity became almost painful.

     He took a deep breath.

     He knew exactly what Hunk had been trying to do.

     He hated that it might actually be working.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curiosity killed the cat...  
> But satisfaction brought it back.
> 
> (If there's something you want me to add to the 2 chapters on visiting Lance's family, put it in the comments. Chapters 16 (Oct 16th) and 17 (Oct 17th) are going to be all McClain Vacation, Pidge and VP6 training is chapter 18 (Oct 18th) now.)


	16. Ever So Humble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance, Veronica, Hunk and Pidge head down to Boca de Camarioca to spend a few days with the McClain family. Hunk and Veronica are clearly up to something, and Hunk accidentally lets a bit _too much_ information slip - leaving Pidge in hysterics.  
>  Also, Rachel isn't _really_ that bad.

     "Come on!" Lance and Hunk ran to the Red lion, each of them with a small bag of the few clothes they had. Pidge was already in her own lion, which was standing next to Red before the Garrison's front entrance. It was early, probably about five am, so only Keith had come to see them off. Veronica stepped up beside him, her own bag at her side.  
     "Hunk told me about your time in the quantum abyss with Krolia a month or so back. Those things you saw... You're certain they're really glimpses of the future?"  
     "Positive. Some of the things I saw have already happened."  
     "And you're certain you saw-"  
     "Yes. That's not something I would forget. Not when it involved _him_."  
     "... Sorry things between you two didn't work out."  
     "I knew long time ago Lance wasn't interested. I'm over it. I never told him anyway. But her... That seemed pretty out of the blue."  
     "You're absolutely sure it was her?"  
     "Without a doubt."  
     Veronica put a hand on his shoulder. "I just needed to confirm it before we left for this trip. Thanks." She started for the Green lion.  
     "Don't do anything stupid."  
     She looked back at him over her shoulder. "Don't worry. Your little paladins will come home safely. I'll have them in bed at a decent time each night and make sure Pidge and the boys sleep in separate rooms." She smiled. "Honestly though, Kogane, there's nothing to worry about. We'll be fine. It's just a few days and we can come back on a moment's notice if you need us." She returned to her short trek to Green.  
     Matt arrived outside just in time to see the Green lion lift off the ground and follow the already-airborne Red.  
     "I missed them." He sighed.  
     "You can call them if you want."  
     "No, it's fine. I just wanted to wish Hunk and Veronica good luck."  
     "I thought you didn't like the idea of those two together."  
     "I didn't, at first. But I thought about it. Especially after they told me what was going on. I'm not going to argue with the quantum abyss." He crossed his arms, smiling after the lions. "Besides, it'd be kinda nice to have a brother someday."  
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
     The trip was short, and the two lions carefully touched down in a field across the street from a humble row of houses. A few neighbors had already begun their day, as it was eight am here, and they waved and called out what Pidge believed was, at least in part, 'Good Morning'. The way they'd said it versus the way Lance had said it clued her in that even the few words she did know, which weren't much at all, she would have a hard time recognizing under the Cuban accents.  
     They'd had to land their lions some place they would fit without being a burden to the village, so the walk to the McClain's house was a little longer than she'd anticipated having to walk so early in the morning. The walk did give her time to observe surroundings, and she tried to take in as much as she could. The beautiful architecture, the weathered feel of the town, the colors more prominent in some places than others, and the smiles on everyone's face as they passed. She silently questioned if they actually knew Lance and Veronica, or if the trio of world renowned heroes was all they really saw as the group passed.  
     When they finally arrived on Lance's street, he and Hunk laid eyes on the house and booked it, hollering and laughing. The house was warm shades of red, brown, and yellow, primarily built of brick and adobe. It was two stories tall, taller than it was wide or deep. It was in it's own yard and a bit bigger than many of the houses they'd seen, which really didn't count for much, given that two families resided there. A balcony encircled the second story, and support beams that may have once been beautiful archways held it up. There didn't seem to be a way to access it from inside the house, however; the only entrance she saw was a flight of stairs hugging the side of the house and leading into the backyard.  
     Lance and Hunk lead the group up the worn brick driveway to a side door, rather than the one in front of the house. The heavy inner door had been left open, and the smell of ham cooking poured through the screen door. They filed into a large kitchen, primarily dominated by a large table and several chairs, some of which clearly didn't belong to the original set. On the far wall, a large woman stood before the counter, cutting fruit.  
     "Mamá! We're home!" The woman nearly dropped the knife she was holding, turning around with a loving smile. She set it down and rushed up to her children, giving tight hug and kiss on the cheek to each of them, doting over them in Spanish. "Hunk!" She greeted him as she had her own kids. "You've not aged a _day_ , mijo!"  
     "We _did_ just see each other a few months ago," he hugged her back as if that weren't true at all. Seeing as Hunk and Lance had been friends a while, it made sense they'd all be close. Pidge was very unprepared for the greeting she received.  
     " _Ah_ , you must be _Pije_." She practically enveloped the small girl. Pidge made a note to remember the pronunciation of her name, suspecting she'd be hearing a lot of it for the next few days. Their mother pulled away, but brushed the hair from her face, lifting her chin up very gently with her fingertips. "Mija, what _beautiful_ eyes!" She looked over her shoulder at Lance. "¿Su jeva? Ella me dará bonitos nietos."  
     Veronica tried not to snicker as Lance blushed. "¡ _Mamá_!"  
     Their mother returned her gaze to Pidge. "You are _always_ welcome here. Our home is yours." She kissed the girl's forehead and released her chin.  
     "Go upstairs and settle. Send Rachel if she wakes."  
     Lance was gone in a flash, Hunk following him a bit less hastily; out of the kitchen and into the living room, up the stairs. The girls were far slower, as one asked the other to translate.  
     "What did she say to Lance?"  
     "She asked if you were his girlfriend."  
     "... That's all?"  
     "You _really_ want to know?"  
     "Of course, that's why I asked."  
     "She, more or less, said she hopes you and Lance-" She did her best not to smirk as she said it, "-will make her some... _beautiful grandchildren_."  
     "... Never translate anything else like that for me. Just tell me I don't want to know."  
     "Will do," she lied.  
  
     The stairs started in the living room, leading up to a 90 degree left turn, which then ended on the second floor. The trip up revealed that the wooden banister and the stained carpeted steps creaked under the slightest pressure. It was a mystery how Lance learned to sneak out with such a noisy exit. At the top, the hallway was straight and short, with four closed doors; two on the right, one on the left, one at the end. The empty space on the left wall was clogged with photos. Pidge recognized Hunk in a few of them. She almost wondered if she'd be in some one day.  
     "You can put your stuff in here." Veronica opened the left door to what Pidge assumed was her room. It was about the size of her own bedroom, but had no windows since it was in the center of the second floor. The walls were painted a burnt yellowish-orange, and the furniture - a set of bunk beds, a corner desk, a bedside table and a shallow bookcase - were all in dark wood. Everything else was a wave of mismatched colors, especially when it came to the bedclothes. The bottom bunk was loosely made up with white and purple sheets, with some sort of grey comforter shaved against the wall. The pillow was printed with some sort of cartoon character she didn't recognize. The top bunk was just a giant lump of multicolored sheets and a comforter half-hanging off of the bunk. Veronica knocked on the bunk twice, and the lump shifted.  
     "Wake up. Mamá needs you downstairs. Food prep for the weary travelers."  
     The lump sat up, revealing a girl that had been underneath. Her dark hair had been pulled back into a half-done braid, and her face was covered by a white mask Pidge had seen Lance make back on the Castle. The girl stumbled down from her bunk, pulling the mask off. The second Pidge got a good look at her, she was stunned by the uncanny resemblance she bore of Lance. The girl, who she assumed by now was Rachel, could have easily passed as a fem version of him, even in mannerisms.  
     Rachel shambled out of the room and down the hall, disappearing behind another door. Veronica tapped the base of the bottom bunk.  
     "It's a trundle, so you'll have your own bed. Set your stuff wherever. Whenever you enter ours or the boys' bedrooms, knock before walking in. You don't have to wait for a response, but just give a little warning. Rachel and I change in here, locker room style. If that bothers you, you can change in the bathroom and we'll warn you before either of us do. Personally, it doesn't bother me if you sleep in here or across the hall, but trust me, you don't want to share a room with them. The bedroom doors lock, but not well, so don't set Lance off and think that a locked door will save you. I... I think that's about all you need to know. You're free to roam the house as you please."  
     With that, she climbed into the bottom bunk, kicking off her shoes.  
     Pidge dropped her bag against the bed and crossed the hall to what she hoped was Lance's room. She didn't have the chance to knock before the door swung open to reveal a shirtless Lance in pajama pants he'd not been wearing earlier, with a toothbrush in one hand.  
     "Oh, hey. Hunk's pretty much out, but you might be able to wake him up. I'm gonna clean up a little and go help my mom finish breakfast. Veronica gave you the rundown, right?"  
     "Yeah, I...think so?"  
     "You need pajamas or anything?"  
     "Not at the moment. It's eight am. It doesn't make a lot of sense to change when we have to change back in an hour or so. "  
     "Sure, but which one of _us_ is more comfortable right now?"  
     "...Rachel already beat you to the bathroom, by the way."  
     His face hardened. "No no no no _no_ ," he said storming down the hall. He banged on the door. "Rachel, don't you _dar_ -"  
     The sound of the shower turning on cut him off. "You little-!" He relaxed and sighed, returning to his room and pushing Pidge inside and out of his path.  
      "If you want to take a shower, brush your teeth, anything - get it done before _Rachel_ wakes up. She's pure evil, fyi." He sat on the ground, leaning against the bottom bunk, which Hunk was laying face down in. He, too, was shirtless and in pajama pants, curled up with a fuzzy-looking blanket. She sat on the floor across from Lance.  
     The room was almost identical to the girls' - the same trundle bunk bed, a bedside table, and a bookcase, all in dark wood. In here, however, the walls were a dark cerulean, a desk sat below a window on the right wall, and rather than a single closet, there was a freestanding wardrobe on either side of a wide dresser taking up the entirety of the left wall. Anywhere there was room, some sort of space-related item sat. Posters on the walls, a model glider and Calypso on the windowsill, glow-in-the-dark stars in accurate constellations on the ceiling, and numerous books on space travel and the history of aviation. The rug on the floor was a crude map of the solar system. He must have noticed her looking around.  
      "... It probably looks pretty lame in here. Marco and I set all this stuff up when I decided to become a pilot. It was a bit much, I guess."  
      "No... It's just like mine." She compared the room to her own, taking time to give as many details as possible. "I just... Sort of forgot that you were into all this."  
      He looked around the room fondly. "Yeah. I'm not as mechanical as Hunk or as scientific as you, but I still know a lot. The Garrison isn't just a place you can stroll into as a C-student that can't tell the difference between Ursa Major and Minor. You gotta do your research to even qualify to take the practice entrance exam."  
      "It's just easy to forget that under all that cockiness is the same kid that built that Calypso model from scratch."  
      "... How did you know I made it from scratch?"  
      "They never released a model of that scale."  
      Lance sat for a second, then reached over and picked it up. He held it up to the light. "It took forever. I didn't make a design beforehand, I just kept building until it looked like the pictures." He handed it to her. "It looked better to thirteen-year-old me."  
      She looked over it carefully for a bit. "This is pretty decent craftsmanship for a thirteen-year-old. Especially if you did it on the fly."  
      "You think so? Art was one thing I was actually decent at without trying too hard. Teachers said I had a good eye for it. No memorization, no wrong answer, just look at something and be inspired. I was especially good at the realism and accuracy stuff. Some people had to do that whole grid and proportion and perspective stuff... I never used all that." His eyes were tired, but he beamed with the same sparkle in them as always. "I used to bring home stuff I made, and our mom would hang it on the fridge or make it a centerpiece on the table." His beaming turned into reminiscence. "Once Junior High was over, I put all of my focus into being a pilot. The Garrison doesn't exactly offer electives. But it's in the past."  
      Pidge felt as though she'd stumbled across information she wasn't meant to know. After a few moments of silence, she opened her mouth to respond, but a knock on the open door stopped her. Rachel stood in the doorway, wearing only a towel. "Bathroom's open, _chicas_." She left for the girls' room, closing it behind her. Only then did the pair realize just how much time had passed. It had felt like moments; it had been nearly twenty minutes.  
      Lance gave an angry huff. "At least she's somewhat personable today," he mumbled. "She's a total jerk normally, as I said. You need in the bathroom before I take a shower?"  
      "Nah. Go ahead."  
      He got up again, closing the door most of the way behind him as he left.  
      "Rachel's not actually that bad." She jumped when she heard Hunk's voice.  
      "How long have you been awake?"  
      He didn't turn to face her, not moving from his curled-up position on the bed. "Never actually went to sleep. Really, though, he and Rachel are worse than him and Keith. They're practically twins. Actually, they might be twins. Every time someone brings it up they just finger-gun each other. That's one of the few times they get along. A lot of the time they're super passive-aggressive until someone snaps. It's like they're fighting for territory."  
      "So even _Lance_ can't stand Lance."  
      "Yep. Also, I'm gonna take a wild guess she was probably half-dressed just now."  
      "Wearing a towel."  
      " _That's_ a new one. She likes showing off how 'attractive' she is to other girls. I have no idea why. Maybe to steal anyone Lance has a chance with."  
      "Is she bi, too?"  
      "Unlike Lance, she actually _flaunts_ it. He still doesn't want to admit it, but it's pretty obvious."  
      "From a psychologist's analysis, absolutely. But as his friend, I'm not going to force him to come out of the closet he hardly even realizes he's in."  
      Hunk laughed. "I'm pretty sure the whole family knows. His mom tried to drop hints about it once, and he wasn't getting it. I mean, even Keith only gave up on him after he saw Lanc-" He fell silent.  
      "Until he saw _what_?" Pidge stood over him, poking and prodding him when he didn't answer. "Tell me. You _have_ to tell me now."  
      He sighed and sat up. "You know how Keith saw some flashbacks and flash-forwards in the quantum abyss?"  
      "Yeah?"  
      "He saw Lance in a tux and a girl in a wedding dress. The first time, they were running through the rain, laughing together, having a good time, and he was trying to shield her with his jacket. The second time, they were in normal clothes, but they were holding hands and wearing wedding rings. I was also in that one. We were walking through the woods or something like that."  
      "... Did you recognize her?"  
      "..."  
      "Hunk."  
      "It wasn't Allura."  
      "That's obvious."  
      "..."  
      "... Oh, _Crow_. No." She shook her head. "There's a _slizknot's_ chance in _groatsbade_ that _that_ 'll happen."  
      "Veronica and I didn't want to tell you two, but I guess since it's guaranteed to happen, telling you doesn't actually matter."  
      " _No_. I'm not going to assume that a region of space holds the secrets of _my_ future, specifically."  
      "The stuff he saw... You know as well as any of us that some of it has already been proven correct."  
      "... I'm going to do some research before I believe anything. I'm sure I can prove that we... That there _is_ no ' _we_ '."  
      "Pidge, face it. You and Lance are set in stone. Get used to this house. You're going to be seeing a lot of it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home...  
> Except for a future one.
> 
> McClain Vacation is going to be looooooong chapters. Tomorrow's chapter is going to be their actual vacationing. Also, LOTS OF PLANCE, A LIL BIT ON LANGST, HUNK AND VERONICA PARTNERING UP FOR THE SAKE OF PLANCE, WE MEET THE REST OF THE FAM, AND RACHEL WILL REDEEM HERSELF  
> GET READY BOIIIIIIIIIIIS
> 
> [Want more of this chapter? Here you go!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497944)


	17. Home Is People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica and Hunk team up to inch Lance and Pidge closer together.  
> Pidge learns a lot about Lance after spending time with his family. They absolutely love her, and it makes it incredibly hard to leave. Especially when Lance sneaks her out of the house at night to get one last look at the ocean.
> 
> WARNING: Major Langst. No death, but _ouch_

     The first day at the McClain's house was fairly slow; it was Friday, so almost everyone had gone off to work or school. The group decided to head down to Varadero, since this would be the only time the beach wouldn't be flooded with other people. Tourism had severely cut back since the start of the war, but locals still came often.

     Pidge had no qualms about getting in the water, but due to the fact she'd not exactly had a past need for one, she had no swimsuit. Hunk and Lance had salvaged theirs from the Castle, but she wasn't exactly focused on getting clothing but _tech_ onto her own lion. In fact, even now, it was something of an afterthought.

     "It's not a problem. We've got extras." Veronica pulled out a large canvas bag from the bottom of her closet, dumping the contents out onto her bunk. You couldn't find a better variety in a store. It was a mass of multicolored fabrics, made up entirely of swimwear of every size and fit. They sifted through together.

     They changed into their suits at the same time, something the little paladin was not at all accustomed to. It wasn't that it made her uncomfortable, but she'd never really had female friends, a sister, or even lived in the female dorms. Even now, she shared a room with Matt at the Garrison. Self consciousness had never hindered her actions simply because she'd never really had the opportunity to compare herself to another girl. In a way, it was a sort of trust exercise for her.

     She'd chosen a very unremarkable teal-green one piece, which had a low back and would be fastened by a tie in the back and a tie behind her neck, both of which she had to get assistance with. She'd also pulled out a sun-shirt, discovering unsurprisingly it was big on her. Using only a hair tie, Veronica turned the oversized shirt into a loose crop top without compromising the coverage she'd chosen it for. It might as well have been magic to the girl who'd not worn anything but shorts and uniforms for six years. She then had Pidge sit in front of her on the bed as she pulled some of her hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes. The entire time, she was left wondering,  _is this what having a sister is like?_  Veronica had chosen a yellow bikini, pulling on green and black board shorts as well. The younger thought she looked absolutely flawless, and made a silent note to steal the idea if she ever actually went out and bought a new suit.

     There was a knock at the door, which then opened a tiny crack, and a voice followed. "Everyone decent?"

     "No." Veronica answered, in such a way Lance could tell she was lying. The door gently swung the rest of the way open.

     "C'mon, I wanna get as much swim time as possible." He gave them each a once over. "Why is it that you all wear my old stuff?"

     "It was in the bag, it was fair game."

     "It's not that I care, it's just weird. Pidge's is understandable but you have no excuse."

     Pidge looked down at her outfit. The shirt. Great, yet another thing for Hunk to torture her over.

 

     The four stuffed a bag with towels, and tossed in some sunblock after being reminded that Pidge's fair skin would melt in sunlight. On their way out, they passed Rachel, who gave them a little salute of a greeting without looking up from what she was doing. It had appeared to be some sort of homework, but she'd really just attempted to make herself look busy to allow the quartet some R'n'R alone before the family bombarded them upon their return to the house later. She was dying to spend time with her siblings, but knew better than to intrude on their only day of complete relaxation.

     Lance insisted they take the Green lion, since Red wouldn't want to be so close to the ocean, and he did his best to direct Pidge to a spot near a large rock formation. They'd hardly touched down before the boy had begun sprinting across the sand and into the water, a huge grin on his face. Hunk laid out a towel before leaving the bag on it and ditching his shoes. The girls took a bit longer, having to bathe the younger in sunblock. Her skin had already begun to reveal her usually translucent freckles on her face and arms. All of the technology in the world still failed to protect her from the sun's wrath.

     As soon as she'd been covered, she, too, ran for the water, eagerly greeting the feel of the water against her skin. She hadn't gone swimming in ages, and doing it now without the pressures of responsibility or urgency looming overhead, she felt pure, inconsequential joy. Here and now, there was no war, no work, no rules. Just freedom. Despite not being an outdoorsy person, she'd always had a bit of a soft spot for the ocean, believing that there were just as many incredible discoveries to be made below it's surface as there was out of the atmosphere. For now though, she allowed herself to be engrossed by the beauty and simplicity of it all.

     Until the cliff.

     She'd heard the others mention it prior to their leave from the Garrison, but didn't put two and two together that she'd landed Green right next to that particular cliff. And she certainly wasn't ready to jump from it. She watched Veronica, then Hunk, both take running leaps into the water like it was their life's calling. Then it was her turn. She didn't move a muscle.

     "C'mon," Lance eased, "It's not that high."

     "I'm not scared of heights, I don't want to hit that water like solid concrete."

     "Okay, even I know that a fall from this height into water that _isn't_ stagnant _won't_  kill you. You'll be fine, trust me; I've done this thousands of times."

     She crossed her arms and remarked sarcastically, "Maybe that explains your incredible level of genius."

     Before she had the chance to fight back, he scooped her up princess-style and held her over the edge. She frantically clung to him.

     "NonononnnononononononnonoLancedon'tyoudare!"

     "There's two ways off this rock. You jump or I drop you. Which is it?"

     "Are you _insane_?"

     "Is that your _final_ answer?" He grinned mischievously. 

     "... Don't. Don't you _dar_ -"

     He threw her off.

     Flailing, she summoned her bayard and grappled the side of the rock. Looking up, she watch Lance summon his own and aim the sniper straight for the rock that was supporting her.

     "You _are_ insane! Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

     "We both know my aim's good enough to knock you off without hurting you. But if I were you, I wouldn't want to be holding an electrified bayard when I hit the water."

     Hunk and Veronica watched the scene from the water below, quite amused with the dramatic scene playing out above them.

     "You are seriously crazy! Do you realize how dangerous this is?"

     "Oh, please. Just jump off or I'll shoot your support off. You're going down either way."

     She knew he was right, but rather than admit it, she compromised. Pushing herself off the rock, she shot her katar at Lance, effectively snagging him and yanking him down, too. She deactivated her bayard just seconds before going under. When they surfaced, it was Pidge that now sported the mischievous grin. He shook his head and sighed.

     "Will you jump  _willingly_ now?"

     "... Yeah, I guess."

 

     After a few hesitant jumps, it wasn't long before she was diving like an old pro. It definitely wasn't something she'd go out of her way to do, but since she was already here, she thought she might as well join in on it.

     The group burned off their energy rather quickly, and after about an hour or so of diving, Veronica announced that she was going to go and bring back some drinks after her next jump. She hesitated a second.

     "Pidge... You don't drink alcohol, do you?"

     "No. Why would I?"

     "Alright. Hunk?"

     "It's not even lunchtime yet."

     "So that's a no. Virgin piña coladas then?"

     Lance perked up. "Havana Club. I need, like, six of them."

     "How about you _don't_ consume an ungodly amount of alcohol before spending hours in the ocean?"

     "Wait," Pidge interjected, "you're not even old enough to drink."

     "This is Cuba. No drinking age. But really, though, two at _least_."

     "One. Maybe I'll get you a large one. We'll see."

     Hunk jumped in a bit too quickly, "Actually, I'll go with you." He looked over at the other two. "You guys stay here, have fun, don't die. We'll be back."

     After they each jumped off one last time, they headed off with a wave.

     "Great," Lance cracked his knuckles. "Now that they're gone, they can't nag me about pulling dangerous stunts."

     "No, but I can."

     "Yeah, but you can't actually stop me."

     "Wanna bet?"

     "Well, since you're so sure of yourself, try it."

     He didn't actually give her the chance to brace herself. He took a few paces back before charging full speed off the edge - dragging her off with him.

     They hit the water harder than either one of them was used to, due to the extra weight. They both came up coughing, but he was laughing as well.

     "That's payback!" He swam over and pulled himself up onto a low rock ledge.

     "I'm going to end you."

     He crossed his legs and looked down at her innocently. "Can you even reach me up here?"

     Her eyes narrowed at him. "Need I remind you that I know where you sleep?"

     "You're not really all that threatening when I can only see you from the shoulders up."

     She grabbed one of his ankles and yanked him down, then taking his place on the ledge. "You aren't threatening in _or_ out of water."

     "Maybe not, but I do know your weakness." He pointed up.

     Her face dropped. The sun. She'd forgotten to reapply. Suddenly her skin felt like it was on fire.

     He made it to shore before she did, which was all the head start that he needed to beat her to the beach bag. He grabbed the sunblock and held it out of her reach when she caught up.

     "You're evil."

     "And _you're_ looking a little pink."

     He grinned at the flash of panic in her eyes.

     "Give me that bottle."

     It was then that Lance made the one move he was certain would set her off. Two simple words with extreme power behind them.

     " _Make me_."

     She tackled him more easily than a girl her size should've been able to.

     His bare back hit the sand hard, but he still held the bottle out of her reach. She clamored over him trying to grab it. He used his free hand to push her away. The struggle lasted a minute or so before-

     "We were gone _five minutes_ and you're already rolling around in the sand on top of each other?"

     They both froze and looked up to see Veronica and Hunk with their drinks. They were suddenly became very aware of just how bad this would look from an outsider's perspective.They shot up to a standing position, both of them now covered in sand. Hunk was almost in tears trying not to laugh.

     They both took special care for the rest of the day to stay about arms-length apart.

 

     Pidge's first dinner with the McClains was a roller coaster within of itself. She wasn't quite prepared for the speed or volume at which everyone spoke, and Nadia and Sylvio repeatedly called her names that she knew were meant to be endearing, but that she couldn't understand. Those who could speak English, did.They didn't all greet her quite like Lance's mom, but they all made a point to meet her and learn her name, which they almost immediately dropped after she met Mee-maw.

     "Um... Hello." She awkwardly shook the old woman's hand, which quickly turned into the woman holding her hand with both of her own. She waved Lance over, then turned back to Pidge, speaking slowly and giving breaks for him to interpret.

     "Brave young woman... Thank you for protecting us and bringing my grandson home safe... You are not blood... But you are family... You will always have a place among us... I may be old... My eyes aren't what they used to be... But even I see you have a good heart... And for that, you will always be in ours, _bella."_

     Pidge replied, speaking in the same sort of pattern for him to translate back. "It is my duty as a paladin to protect those I care about... And because of that, I will help to protect you all... No matter the cost."

     The smile she received melted her heart. The woman's face was full of love and adoration for a girl she hardly knew, and she hugged her tightly as though she'd known her forever. The whole family began calling her 'bella' from then on. She had no clue what that meant, but by the way they said it, she knew they said it lovingly.

     Spending time with his family gave her a better understanding of the Red paladin, in a light she'd never truly seen him in before. She'd known he was kind sometimes, but the look on his face as he looked around the table at his family told her that it ran far deeper than just that. The boy was overflowing with love for all of them. He spoke so affectionately, even to Rachel, who he'd sworn was terrible. The entire family was wonderful, adopting Pidge as they'd adopted Hunk years ago, but none of them could quite match up to the emotions she watched pouring from Lance. She thought of her reunion with her family, and how all the Holts still lived together at the Garrison. A pang of guilt hit her as she thought that perhaps she'd been taking that for granted.

 

 

     The trip didn't last nearly long enough. It flew by far too fast, and as the family wished her goodnight one last time, Mee-maw once again delivered a message through Lance that she'd not soon, if ever, forget.

     "Always remember... your place in this family."

     It had made it hard for her to fall asleep, thinking about leaving them. A few meals of wonderful food, hours at the beach and roaming the city, even learning that his niece and nephew had been calling her "Aunt Pidge" the entire time... It felt like this truly was her home. She'd always been very emotional, but it was strange to her that she'd feel so much love for these people in such a short span of time. She missed her own family, but this was her family, now, too. But her visit was not yet over. Unbeknownst to her, there was one more thing left for her to do.

 

     She'd woken up to the sound of a harsh whisper.

     "Pidge... Hey, Pidge..."

     Her tired eyes opened to a cracked door, the yellowish hall light shining in a single stripe onto the bedroom wall. A figure blocked out some of it, making the projection look distorted and broken. She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

     "Lance?" She whispered back.

     "Yeah. Come on. Get your shoes."

     "What?"

     "Just come on." The silhouette moved from the door.

     Pidge quietly slipped out of bed, shoving her feet into her shoes and taking one last look at Veronica and Rachel's sleeping forms before shutting the door behind her. Lance was waiting in the hall, in the same t-shirt and pajama pants he'd gone to sleep in. He gestured for her to follow him, walking into the bathroom and sliding the window open.

     "What the-"

     He put a finger to his lips to shush her. "Just trust me." He climbed out the window and landed with a soft thud on the balcony that only then did she remember was there. She sighed, climbing out after him.

     He lead her around the side of the house to the brick stairs that took them back to the ground. It was dark apart from the street lamps, and he held onto her wrist to guide her through an alley beyond the lamps' reach. She heard the ocean before she saw it. Lance had taken her to the beach, but not a part of it she recognized after days of frequenting it. It had to have been close to his house, too, given how fast they'd gotten there on foot. He continued to drag her along for a few minutes along the shoreline, suddenly stopping. The sand was illuminated in part by the nearby street lights, which were motion activated to preserve energy at night. They stood still in silence, and just as Pidge was about to question him, the lights shut off.

     "Since we're leaving in the morning, I had to be sure you got one last good look at the ocean." He motioned towards it with his hand. "I figured this was something you'd really enjoy."

     Yawning, she sleepily turned to the ocean as well, not at all expecting the scene she then saw. The moon was full, hanging overhead with countless amounts of stars, glittering against the black backdrop of the sky. It was all reflected in the water, a mirror image bending and swaying steadily with each crash of the waves. To her far right, she could see the coastline dotted with lights of the city and beachside resorts. It was unreal, like a painting of a scene from some sort of storybook. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she was home, looking up at the stars from her rooftop next to Matt and her father for the very first time. She'd seen the sky thousands of times by now, and flown among the stars in her lion, yet it all now seemed like a whole new set of constellations, uncharted and unnamed. Pidge hadn't known it was possible to fall in love with a view.

     "You like it?" He looked almost nervous, as if waiting for approval.

     "It's... incredible."

     "C'mon," he said, kicking his shoes off onto the sand. Doing the same, she walked along the edge of the ocean with him, letting the waves crash over her bare feet. They were quiet a long time.

 

     "Lance?"

     "Yeah?"

     "Why'd you bring me out here?"

     "...I figured you'd enjoy the view."

     "No, I mean... Why just me, and not Hunk, too?"

     He turned to her. Their eyes met. He looked back out at the ocean.

     "Pidge, I feel like something bad is going to happen soon. I don't know what, but... I'm honestly kinda scared. Terrified, actually. I don't know what's going to happen the next time we're on the front lines. I've already had a few close calls. This could be the last time I ever see the beach again. The last time I sleep in my own bed and wake up to my mom's cooking. The last time I-..." He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I need you to know something while I'm still alive to say it."

     She felt her stomach knotting up. He looked back at her again.

     "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be who I am. I wouldn't have been on that rooftop that night, I never would have met Blue, never would've left the atmosphere and been all of these crazy awesome places. And I certainly wouldn't have made it back to my family. That's one of the reasons they all loved you so much. I owe you my life. I owe you _everything._ I-"

     He was cut off by the tiny paladin's tight hug. "Shut up. You don't owe me anything. You're not gonna die. None of us are. I promise."

     Lance hugged her back. "That's big promise for such a small person."

     "Being small has never stopped me before. It won't now. Not when it matters most. Trust me when I say this isn't your last trip to the beach, and certainly not the last time you see your family."

     He broke. He held her tighter, his voice shaking.

     "I know that you can't really guarantee that, but... Thank you."

     "That doesn't mean you can go charging in somewhere recklessly and expect me to come running, though."

     He let her go, laughing a little but wiping tears away. "Duly noted."

     "C'mon, Lance. Let's go home."

     "... No. Not just yet." He looked back out over the sea, taking in as many details as he could. The sounds of crashing waves. The feel of the water against his skin. The smell of the ocean breeze.

 

     He felt a small hand comfortingly slip into his.

     He gave a worried smile, closing his fingers around it.

     The rest of the night was filled with unbroken and solemn silence.

 

     Saying goodbye to the family in the morning was one of the most painful things Pidge ever experienced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.” – Robin Hobb
> 
> This chapter actually made me cry. Lance's love for his family and the way it affected Pidge... This is such an important chapter for her.


	18. Love Isn't Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge trains with VP6, who gives her a little pep talk on the 'Lance situation'.

     A flash of green shot across their field of vision, and seconds after a mass of green and white smashed into them. The mass itself continued through with its path. clinging tight to the katar in the cave wall, landing against it like a spider.

 

     "Crow, Pidge, don't actually try to kill me!"

     "A fight without peril is a victory devoid of glory."

     VP6 charged and swiped at her, and Pidge simply tucked and rolled between their legs, summoning her bayard back into her hand. She shot, snagged, and yanked their leg, causing them to fall against the cave wall. They spun around in time to activate their vambrace shield, effectively blocking another shot of the katar. They reached around, getting a fist full of the rope attachment, leaving her unable to retrieve the end piece. Her opponent used it as a lasso, shocking her with her own weapon. She let it go, the bayard deactivating as she did, then summoning it back into her hand. VP6 swiped at her and she ducked, slashing and electrocuting them from their right side. They spun their naginata behind their back, attempting to strike her, but she simply dodged it and pushed it down to continue its motion until it could no longer retract fast enough to counterattack.

     Instead, they used the momentum to swing down and back up, this time striking Pidge's right side and throwing her back a bit. She grabbed the end, just above the blade, pushing the staff the rest of the way over her head and slashing the hand gripping it. VP6 hooked the katar with the staff, dragging Pidge with it as they spun around underneath it, delivering a sort of backwards roundhouse kick to her back, knocking her to the ground. She used her jet pack to propel her back up and assist her in running up the cave wall, then came down hard on top of them. They spun over and pinned her down, but was electrocuted as a result, and was then easily thrown off.

     The two both stood once more,  both edging along an invisible perimeter. This time, VP6 would not wait for the other's attack, jabbing at their opponent. She evaded the blade, sliding her katar along the length of the staff. They let go of it to avoid the expected shock, losing the staff altogether.

 

     "Now what?" She taunted, a bayard in each hand. "You can't summon it to yourself, and you're unarmed."

     "Quite the contrary." They grinned. " _You_ 're un _protected_."

 

     They activated both wrist's shields, charging the Green paladin. They rammed into her, knocking her down, then tucked and rolled over her, snatching the staff up and deactivating their right shield. They used the still-active left one to knock the next katar shot off it's course and to the left, slashing at her exposed side. She activated her own shield, causing the blow to ricochet. Both shields deactivated, and they once again inched the invisible circle.

     VP6 swung for the left of her head. She ducked. They switched directions and swung for the right side. She ducked again, putting her weight on her hand spinning on the ground and delivering a swift kick to the side of their right knee. They shifted on their left foot, swiping at her while she was on the cave floor, making contact with her helmet and actually knocking it off. She shot her katar at them again, being blocked by an end blade. She retracted it and shot just behind them, hitting the cave wall. Retracting it once more, it stuck in the rock and dragged her across the cave, allowing her to knock VP6 off of their feet, then push herself off the wall and tackle her opponent and pin them down before they had the chance to stand. They felt the presence of the katar eerily close to their neck.

 

     "I'd say that's another win for me." She climbed off of them, then reached out a hand to help them up. "I could've killed you just then."

     "But you didn't," they took her hand and stood, "and it's that hesitation that'll get  _you_  killed."

 

     The pair decided to take a break, sitting and leaning against the cave wall.

     "I wish Keith had come up with a better terrain for training in. It's really closed in in here."

     "Some training is better than none. Either way, I can't actually seem to beat you. Especially when you're climbing up walls and sliding between my legs like some kind of bug."

     "That's sort of my thing. My size is a huge advantage, and because I don't way nearly as much as my opponents, a bit of propulsion and I can practically defy gravity."

     "Yet you still manage to pack a serious punch. Not to mention being able to pin people down like it's nothing." They took off some of their armor. "And wow, getting electrocuted numerous times over doesn't feel good."

     She scoffed. "Did you think it would?"

     "No, but the fact a single shock from that thing knocked Lance out, I did expect a bit more."

     "To be fair, you were actually prepared for it. He wasn't."

     "Doesn't seem like he's prepared for much of anything, huh?"

     "... You just said that to change the subject to him, didn't you?"

     "Here, let me be more direct." They cleared their throat dramatically. "So, you and Lance, huh?"

     She crossed her arms. "Do we really have to talk about this?"

     "Well, you  _did_  tell me about the whole beach at night thing. Which, by the way, you really shouldn't be sneaking out at night with guys. Even if it is Lance."

     "Oh, shut it. It's not like I haven't done things hundreds of times more reckless and irresponsible in space."

     "Oh, so you two went on little beach dates in space, too?"

     She elbowed them. "That's not at all what I meant and you know it."

     "But you aren't going to deny it was a date."

     "Of course it wasn't!"

     "You two were taking a long romantic  walk on the beach alone, holding hands-"

     "I was trying to comfort him."

     "You're telling me that when he chose to take you and you alone, you didn't think for a second, 'hm, maybe this is more than just a casual get-together'?"

     "... I mean, sure, the thought crossed my mind, but he just didn't want to be alone, so he took me with him."

     "He came to your room and woke you up in the middle of the night, rather than take Hunk, who was sleeping right next to him?"

     "... Okay, look-"

     "I'm calling it now, he likes you, you like him, it's already been foretold you two are going to get marri-"

     "Nope. Nope, I don't believe that. Absolutely not."

     "How many people have heard about it now? Six or seven at least. Even Allura started backing off of him when Hunk told her about it."

     "Look, the princess can have him for all I care. You know why? Because I don't like him! He doesn't like me! Whatever Keith saw isn't guaranteed to happen! There's no reason for it!"

     "Pidge..."

     "No. No no no no no."

     "It's okay to have feelings."

     She said nothing, glaring at the far cave wall.

     They sighed. "Listen, I get that you probably don't want to talk about this with me, and that's fine. But you can trust me. You know that. I can tell you two have taken a shine to each other. It's not a huge deal. What Keith saw, that is a huge deal. You should probably accept what's happening here and now, because you seemed pretty happy in those flash forwards. If you know you're going to end up with him, and you know you're going to be happy together, why are you fighting it before it even starts?"

     She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest.

     "Because I'm worried about what's going to happen the second I get comfortable with the idea of it. Letting down my guard is asking to be hurt. Maybe I was happy then, but even later than what he saw, I could end up getting seriously heartbroken. We could end up hating each other. We're fine as we are. I don't want to ruin our friendship on something as trivial as feelings if it means I could end up losing his trust or companionship. Especially if we're going to have to work together as paladins regardless."

     "You think he doesn't, maybe, feel the same way?"

     "What?"

     "Just give this a chance. Let yourself be comfortable with him just once. See what happens. No holds barred. Just be you, and don't restrain yourself because of your worry. He's probably just as nervous about the whole thing."

     "And what if he's not interested at all?"

     They laughed.

     "Are you that dense? He's interested. No doubt about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love isn't love until you give it away...  
> But it comes at the price of leaving your own heart exposed.


	19. He Who Flees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge and Lance meet on the roof of the Garrison, on his request. Pidge tests the waters a bit before Lance sets her off and something takes her by surprise.

     "You know, when I asked you to meet me up here, I sorta expected to get here first."

     "Too bad, slowpoke."

     "You're thirty minutes early."

     "Actually I was about three hours early, but who's counting?"

 

     Pidge sat at the edge of the roof, typing away on her laptop. She'd come straight here from her training session, not even bothering to change out of her armor. She looked up at Lance, walking up behind her. He was also in armor, but only the bottom half of it, and carried a messenger bag at his side.

 

     "Where's the rest of your armor?"

     "Left it with Red. I was training for a while beforehand, got a little hot in it, thought I'd take it off for a while. I'm probably going back the the training hall later."

     "You look weird."

     "Alright, I guess I'll leave, then. You'll never know what I had planned for you. Buh-bye."

     "Come sit down."

     He took a seat next to her, setting the bag in his lap. "Whatcha doin' up here so early?"

     "Why are  _you_  so early?"

     "Usually, when you invite someone to meet you somewhere, you're supposed to show up first."

     "I don't think you've shown up early to anything in your life."

     "Well, you should be honored that I've made an exception for you."

     She closed her laptop and shoved it in her bag. "So why did you ask me to come to the roof? And at night?"

     "Actually, the night thing was just a matter of scheduling. But I did think it would be kinda cool to hang out in the spot our whole adventure began."

     "Okay, but why are we here?"

     "What, we can't just hang out?"

     She gave him an unamused look. He sighed and opened the bag.

     "I've got something for you. I had to get a lot of help from Hunk and Matt, but I did as much of the work as I could. I even had them add some stuff. Come on out, little dude."

     From out of the bag rose a familiar drone emitting a faint green glow.

     Her eyes widened. "Rover? But how-" The small drone floated over and landed in her lap. She picked it up and looked it over.

     "Coran and I found him a while back. It took a bit of time to fix him up, but I think I got it. He's got some new security measures in place so you won't lose him like you did before. He's also fitted with a more pet-like AI, so he'll be a companion and a guard dog, and he seems to like landing in people's laps or hair. And he's sensitive to his name, so even if he's in sleep mode, he'll wake up to it. Oh, yeah, he's got a sleep mode to preserve battery life, but his security system is always online."

     "You... You did all that?"

     "Well, I came up with all of the extra stuff, but Matt and Hunk had to program it."

     "But... You? You did all that?"

     "Don't sound so shocked."

     "But... Why? Why would you go to all that trouble?"

     "You loved the little guy. I found him, so why wouldn't I try to get him fixed up for you? That's like finding a lost dog and not returning him to its worried owner."

     "No, it's... It's really not the same thing. This took a lot of time and effort, and it's something I know for a fact you don't dabble in."

     "So what? I fixed him up for you. Don't worry about the specifics. Just enjoy him now that he's back."

     The drone lifted up off of her lap and nestled itself in her bag, giving a little chirp noise and shutting down.

     "That's his sleep mode. He's been training with me all day, so I guess he needs some recovery time."

     "Lance... Thank you for this. You really didn't have to do that."

     "I would've given him to you sooner, but I wanted to troubleshoot his defense programming. Maybe he'll help you stop stressing out like you have been lately."

     She shoulders slumped. "Yeah, I guess I have been. I got so used to the beach, I wasn't ready to come back to all this. And hanging out with Veronica... it was like having a sister. It's been a few days, but I already miss the way she'd play with my hair when we talked before bed. It was soothing. It's not exactly the sort of attention you'd get from a brother."

     "Are you saying it's not the same if a guy does it? Ha. Anything she can do, I can do better."

     He scooted back behind her, and he felt as his fingers skillfully began braiding her hair.

     "What are you doing?"

     "Stop squirming. If it'll help with your stress, then I'll do it. it's partially my fault anyway, after the whole beach thing. Sorry about all that by the way."

     "No, it fine. And it was a great view."

     "That's the view that made me fall in love with the sky. The constellations and all that."

     "Matt and I used to climb up to the roof and watch the skies when our dad would go on missions."

     "Is that why you started doing that after Kerberos? Thinking you'd see something?"

     "I suppose at first. Eventually I built my gear for listening for distress signals, and I ended up finding aliens."

     "And thus began a thrilling lifelong journey of mechanical cats and weird alien food."

     She smiled.

 

      _No holds barred._

     

     Remembering the words, she took a deep breath, scooting forward before leaning back and laying her head in Lance's lap. He continued messing around with her hair, but there was a faint blush that ran across his cheeks for a moment. She hoped that it wasn't happening to her, too, and looked up at the sky.

 

     "Where'd you learn to braid?"

     "Rachel taught me."

     "Did she introduce you to face masks, too?"

     "Yep. Thanks to her, I am pretty well versed in most things girly. Well, personal hygiene isn't actually girly, but you get what I mean."

     "So... Makeup?"

     "Sure. It's basically just a type of art."

     "I guess that's true. I was never really into it like the other girls my age, though."

     "It's not like you need it anyway."

     "I'm sorry, was that a compliment?"

     "Wh-No!... makeup is just... For ugly or insecure people. You are neither."

     "You don't actually think that."

     "No, I honestly don't think you're ugly or insecure."

     "I meant that you don't feel that way about makeup."

     "This whole scenario was entrapment."

     She laughed. "I wasn't fishing for compliments; you're digging your own grave here."

     "You know, I have the power to turn your hair into a giant tangled mess."

     "Sure you do. But you won't."

     "... Yeah, you're right. This actually kind of relaxing."

     "Did you ever do your sisters' hair?"

     "Nah, they mostly tried to do stuff to me, makeovers and all that jazz."

     "You know, Rachel doesn't actually sound like that bad of a person. She just sounds like a regular sibling."

     "No, Rachel is a demon."

     "Demons aren't even real."

     "Sure they are."

     "Yeah, right. They're about as real as ghosts."

     "Ghosts are also real."

     "Where's the evidence?"

     "There's lots of footage of ghosts caught on tape."

     "It's all doctored."

     "Look, I'm not saying every inexplicable movement is caused by a ghost. There are lots of hoaxes. But ghosts, as a whole, are very real."

     "Give me some hard evidence and I'll believe you. But you can't. Because there isn't any to be found. They don't exist."

     "You want me to preform an exorcism or something? A seance? Cause I am not opening some supernatural gateway and angering spirits to argue my case. That's asking to be murdered."

     She scoffed. "Wouldn't it just be awkward for the ghosts? They kill you and then have to put up with your ghost for the rest of eternity."

     "Not everyone becomes a ghost."

     "That makes no sense! Who or what decides who becomes a ghost? Is there paperwork? Do you have to apply? Is it a lottery or do you have to meet certain qualifications?"

     He laughed. "What, do you think being a ghost is some sort of paid position?"

     "I don't think they're even real. That's why I'm asking you all these things. What about a hierarchy? Or ghost politics? How do you think the ghost economy is doing right now?"

     "What kind of questions are these?" he wheezed.

     "Demons and ghosts just aren't real, Lance."

     "Just because you don't understand it, that doesn't make it not true."

     "Science hasn't found any kind of evidence supporting the existence of supernatural entities."

     "Sure it has."

     "Oh, so you're a ghost scientist now? Did you go to supernatural university in the past five minutes?"

     "You're putting up an awful large stink for someone who believes in Bigfoot."

     "We've actually found  _proof_  of Bigfoot."

     "Oh, but  _that's_  not doctored?"

     "Sure there have been hoaxes, but there's also a lot of samples that are genuine. We've even mapped out regions where they live based on the density of local sightings."

     "So ghosts and demons are fake, but cryptids are real?"

     She pointed a finger at him. "Hey, cryptozoologists have proved the existence of things before."

     "Pfft. like what?"

     "The platypus, giant squids, okapis, the ziphius, kangaroos, Komodo dragons, mountain gorillas, the sea serpent, bondegezous, Devil birds, Hoan Kiem turtles, and aliens, of course."

     "Aliens are not cryptids."

     "Funny, before Voltron, you didn't believe in aliens."

     "You're just making my point for me. You doubt it all now, but one day you'll be proved wrong."

     "Right, because I'm known for changing my mind."

     "You changed your mind about me, didn't you?"

     She almost choked. "What?"

     "You used to think I was just some nameless prick. And now?"

     "Now you're a prick named Lance."

     He stopped braiding and looked down at her. "You're the  _real_  prick, you know that?"

     "Yeah, that's the reason we make such a great team."

     "If you say so." He started on yet another braid. "You know, I used to think you were just some giant nerd. At least I can admit that my first impression of you was a pretty shallow representation."

     She looked up at him. "What do you mean by that?"

     "Being a genius isn't all that you are, just like being a prick isn't all that I am."

     "It's a pretty big part of who you are."

     He smirked. "Is ruining the moment, like, a hobby or something to you?"

     "I  _am_ pretty good at it."

     "Yeah, I've noticed you're not quite a trailblazer in the emotional moments department."

     "And you're not a trailblazer in the controlling emotions department."

     "At least I have them."

     She sat up and turned to him. "Do you really think I'm devoid of emotion?"

     He shrugged. "I mean, I've seen you angry, violent, sarcastic, and all that. But you're fairly monotonous around anything without wires. You're just a tiny ball of rage."

     "I just don't express my feelings the same way you do. That doesn't make me heartless."

     "I'm not saying you don't have a heart, you're just not all that great at using it."

     "So that automatically means I'm devoid of love?"

     "No, but like I said, you choose tech over people any day of the week."

     She crossed her arms. "That's not true at all!"

     He raised an eyebrow in doubt. "Uh-huh. So I guess violence is how you express love?"

     "Exactly."

     "Oh, so you're constantly raging because you're so full of love? You don't seem to inflict any bodily harm on Matt."

     "Family love is entirely different."

     "So you mock me for flirting with girls, but the best approach you have is socking people in the nose?"

     "At least I don't flirt with just anybody with two legs!"

     "Who could you possibly have been flirting with this whole time?"

     "Maybe if you hadn't been so busy pining after every alien you see, you would have noticed."

     "Who said I was pining after an alien?"

     "What about Allura?"

     "Was it Allura that I invited to meet me on the roof? No! It was-"

     "-Lance."

 

     Pidge's eyes were wide with fear as she pointed to something behind him.

 

     He turned and stared, praying that what he was looking at wasn't real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He who flees at the right time can fight again...  
> An enemy is no exception.
> 
> Also, someone please make a Voltron Unsolved with Lance as Ryan and Pidge as Shane but all the tall jokes stay the same  
> I was getting some major Unsolved vibes writing this


	20. The Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel arrives at the Garrison, demanding to land a spot helping the war effort along. The long-awaited attack hits the base, and Hunk is left to call CODE VP6BR3-T.

     "I'm sure we find something for you to do, but you've got to be patient. It might take a while."  
     "There's got to be _something_."  
     "I know that you're eager to help, but I can't just throw you into a random position. I don't have that kind of power."  
"The head of Voltron has no say in anything?"  
     "I don't run the Garrison."  
     "Then take me to the person who does."

 

     Keith clenched a fist. Two McClains was plenty, but a third? This was far too much. Hunk had gone back down to Cuba in the Yellow lion and brought back what seemed to be the most trying sibling yet.  
     

     "Rachel, listen. You have no experience, no skills. You're not military. You're no scientist or engineer. Can you think for a second before losing your head?"  
     "What about interpreting? I'm bilingual, I can-"  
     "All of our staff and crew are capable of speaking English."  
     She groaned and flopped back on Lance's empty bed.  
     He turn to Hunk, who was sitting on his own. "Why did you bring her here? Is she that scary to you?"  
     "No, I-"  
     Rachel sat up. "No! He came and picked me up when I asked because he's mi familia! Lance and Veronica are my siblings, but Hunk and Pidge are familia, too. I made him bring me out here to protect what's left of us. Let me be useful. I can help somehow."  
     The Black paladin sighed, sitting next to her. "Look... I get it. Lance sent you back home to keep you out of harm's way. That doesn't make you a sitting duck. It doesn't make you useless. If you can stand up and fight, the best place to do it is at home where your family is."  
     "If we stop the threat here, it will never reach them. that is why I had to come. If you truly understand, you'll find me a place here. Whether I'm a soldier or I am preparing their meals, I don't care." She took his hands in hers, giving him a look that suddenly made him understand how she'd prompted Hunk to retrieve her. "Please. Let me protect my familia by stopping the threat at the gates with you."  
     "... I'll do what I can." He stood, and she followed suit, hugging him.  
     "Thank you, _thank you_. I am grateful to you."  
     She released him with a smile to match her words.  
     "Hunk, take her to get fitted for a uniform. Make sure it's purple."  
     "But-"  
     "Consider Rachel a member of the Voltron task force. And... Get her a weapon. Just something to defend herself with, for worst case scenarios."  
     She beamed. "Thank you, again."  
     He simply nodded, opening the door to the dorm.

 

    **The building shook.**

 

     "What was that?" Hunk shot up from his spot on the bed.  
     Keith summoned his bayard. "Whatever it was, it's not us. We're under attack."  
     "How can you be sure?" She gripped the door frame as the building shook again.  
     "I just saw someone that I know doesn't belong here run across the end of the hall. Rachel, you're not safe here. Hunk and I are going to have to take you someplace else." He turned to Hunk. "Suit up. Now. We don't have a lot of time before they all start pouring in. They know we know they're here."  
     "My armor is in the Yellow hangar."  
     "That's where we're going then. Get your bayard ready."  
     The trio rushed down the halls, checking every turn. Hunk lead the way, and Keith took up the rear defense. Reaching the hangar wasn't a problem; their attackers hadn't made it that far, or at least, there weren't enough of them to make it that far yet.  
     They reached the wide corridor from the side opposite to the hangar's entrance, and Hunk sped up, pulling his V-Class badge out to scan it.  
     " _Look out!_ " Rachel shouted.  
     He turned around in time to see Keith get knocked off his feet by an attacker clad in blue and maroon armor. They used their entire body to restrain his arms as another tried to pry his sword from his hands. He tried to reach for his luxite blade, but the strength of the attackers was far greater than his own. He refused to surrender his bayard until yet another attacker approached, stomping on his wrist, forcing him to release it. Before he could summon it to his other hand, they did the same to his opposite wrist. Hunk shot at them, drawing their attention but missing, and another wave of attackers, five this time, had arrived to fight back.  
     "Go! Get to the lions!  _Now_!" He screamed.  
     "I can't just-!"  
     "GO!"  
     He heard another scream, one of defiance. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rachel fighting against two attackers of her own. She fought hard, but she was no match for them at all.  
     "Get  _out_  of here!"

     Hunk attempted to fire on them again, but had to stop, as they began using their two prisoners as human shields. He had no choice. He scanned his card, slid into the hangar, closed the door as fast as he could and locked down its security so it couldn't be hacked. Suiting up as fast as he could, and against Keith's orders, he opened the door manually, just enough to get the barrel of his cannon through.

     But there was no one to aim for.  
     He shoved the door open.  
     The attackers were gone.  
     They'd taken Keith and Rachel with them.

 

    _Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonna kill me. Lance is gonn-_

 

     " _~Hunk! Where are you?~_ " Allura's voice came through on his comm.  
     "I'm in the Yellow hangar! We've been attacked!"  
     " _~Yes, I've noticed!~" He heard gunfire in the background. "~I'm doing my best, but Matt and I can't protect the lab much longer. We've got at least a dozen engineers in here and our exits are blocked.~_ "  
     "Which lab?"  
     " _~Examination and Recovery.~_ "  
     "Is the Altean still down there?"  
     " _~... No. She's gone. I'm not sure where-augh! Matt! Your left!~_ "  
     "Allura, I'm on my way!"  
     " _~Hunk, you have to hurry. They're backing us in!~_ "

 

     Hunk opened his comm to all channels.

 

    ** _"CODE VP6BR3 DASH T. I REPEAT. CODE VP6BR3 DASH T. THIS ISN'T A DRILL. IT'S GO TIME, PEOPLE."_**

\--END ACT TWO-- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on. - Joseph Heller, Catch-22
> 
> Who you're fighting really sways how you fight them...  
> And that hesitation is fatal.
> 
> Posting this because I'll be busy on Saturday. Enjoy it bois


	21. Heroes and Civilians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge and Lance stumble across the enemy's new technology, and Keith must lead a group of prisoners to buy Voltron some time.

     "What do we do?"  
     "I don't know. We don't even know who it is."  
     "We know we're being attacked, isn't that enough for you?"  
     "We form plans based on who's attacking us and what they're trying to do, Lance. I have no information, Keith won't answer his comm, and-"

 

     "~CODE VP6BR3 DASH T. I REPEAT. CODE VP6BR3 DASH T. THIS ISN'T A DRILL. IT'S GO TIME, PEOPLE.~"

 

     "Oh, no."  
     "What? What's going on? What's-"  
     Pidge grabbed his wrist and yanked him with her, leaving their stuff behind. "Rover! Let's go!"  
     The drone was at her side in a flash.  
     "I need you to get me into the security feed, fast."  
     He gave a chirp, and a hologram appeared off of her gauntlet. The floors were riddled with attackers in blue and maroon. She switched through camera after camera, watching as numerous attacks took place. She landed on the Atlas feed. Dozens of them were breaking into it. She saw Shiro and her father, along with several other crew members fighting back. Another camera. Empty corridor. Another, empty c- wait.  
     A group of about ten attackers rushed down the corridor and into a smaller hall, dragging two familiar faces along with them.  
     Lance looked at the feed over her shoulder. "Wait- Is that... Rachel!? What's she doing here!? Why are they taking her!?"  
     "Do you not see that they also have Keith?" They stopped at the end of the stairs leading to the top floor from the roof. A strange noise rippled throughout the hall, and some sort of energy pulse pounded against their heads. They both held their heads between their hands, and Rover went into sleep mode in midair, nearly hitting the ground before coming back online. The pulse ended.  
     "Quiznak! What was that?"  
     Pidge skimmed through the recorded feeds of the past five minutes. Rover chirped, and a new feed came up. It had recorded a group of attackers carrying the Altean. They brought out a large device, aiming it and shooting the wall. The sound came through, almost as bad as it had in realtime, and the spot they'd struck on the wall rippled. They charged through it one by one, and the wall solidified again.  
     "I don't believe it! They just used some sort of molecular nanotechnology to get through solid steel like water!"  
     "They have tech that lets them walk through walls?"  
     "They've mastered some kind of mechanosynthesis! And on inorganic materials!"  
     "What does that even mean?"  
     "It means they can get through any wall, any gate, any person, and suffer little to no damage. If they have that kind of technology, they could be unstoppable!"  
     "Okay, so now that you have some information on them, how do we fight back?"  
     "I... I don't know. We have to find the others and figure out where they're taking Keith."  
     "And the code Hunk called?"  
     "It means that they've taken him alive, and until we get him back, you are the team leader."

 

\--------------------

 

     Keith was thrown onto the floor in a dark room. He had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like they'd walked for hours, and his head was pounding from some sort of energy pulse. He could hardly move, retrained at the wrist and ankles, practically hogtied. He groaned, his wrists aching with every movement. He couldn't tell if they were broken, but it was nearly impossible to make a fist.  
     He heard another body hit the floor near him, shouting at their captors.  
     "You're not going to get away with this for long! ¿Que cojones quieres? ¡Cojones no te metas conmigo!" He heard the door slam shut, leaving them in complete darkness. The voice muttered, "¡Hija de puta no sabe con quien se mete!"  
     "Rachel?"  
     "S- yes, yes! It's me."  
     Another voice sprung up. "Keith?"  
     "Shiro? Who all is in here?"  
     "Romelle and I. It's Matt."  
     "So five of us total?"  
     "I think so."  
     "Shiro, Rachel, Matt, Romelle, me..."  
     "Why us? It's like they came straight for us. They took us and left."  
     Keith tried to sit up. "Listen to me, we have to convince them that we're the paladins."  
     "What?"  
     "These people, they were trying to capture all five paladins. They captured the leader, Shiro, the Blade, me, the Altean, Romelle, they probably took Matt and Rachel based on physical description. They thought they captured Voltron. If we play it off, we might buy some time for the team."  
     "But without you," Matt started, "there is no Voltron. Without Shiro, there's no Atlas."  
     Shiro spoke up. "The Atlas was sabotaged. They sabotaged the Castle's crystal. There's no Atlas with or without me."  
     Keith took a deep breath. "Our lives are in Lance's hands."  
     "Ai," Rachel moaned, "we're doomed."  
     "Did anyone see their faces?" Keith felt hands on his restraints, someone's breath. Teeth. The rope snapped.  
     "Why was that restraint so easily broken?"  
     Romelle, despite the darkness, had managed to release the hogtie.  
     "That wasn't the important one. That was just to keep you still. The ones on our wrists and ankles, I cannot simply bite through."  
     "... Why did you bite through it?"  
     "I beg your pardon that cannot simply rip a rope in half while my hands are tied together. You're injured. Pulling would have made it worse anyway."  
     "How did you know I was injured?"  
     "Well I don't imagine people groan for no reason. Again, did anyone see their faces?"  
     A collective response came up as a no.  
     "Their energy... I know it. It's strong. Stronger than it should be."  
     "What are you talking about?"  
     "It's the same energy that the Altean from the robeast was emitting."  
     Shiro scooted closer to the sound of her voice. "Are you saying that they're Altean?"  
     "They aren't just Altean. They are my people. I don't understand why they would be attacking us. We are a peaceful people. We'd never kill anyone."  
     "I don't think they did kill anyone." Matt said, also attempting to feel his way towards the group.  
     Keith flinched at Romelle's touch to his wrist. "They attacked us. They hurt a lot of people."  
     "But I don't think they killed anyone."  
     "If they didn't, then they want us alive for some reason. They want Voltron alive, but at their mercy."  
    _"Rescate!"_  
     They all turned towards Rachel's voice.  
     "It's a ransom. They're trying to take over as a peaceful people, then they'll do it with leverage. No one has to be killed, but everyone has to do what they're told. I've seen this in a movie." Keith felt her hands on his shoulder, and she continued.

 

     "If you have the heroes, you have the civilians."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick title, I'll change it later, but I'm in a rush now.
> 
> Posting three chapters. I'll be busy on Sunday.  
> Enjoy it boiiiiiis


	22. Cell Blocked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, forgive the bad title pun, but it's relevant.
> 
> The captured quintet discover the mastermind behind the invasion. Upon realizing that they are not the true paladins, they order the guards to retrieve the real ones, and to kill the "Red one" to prevent him from stepping up to lead Voltron.

     "How long do you think they'll be keeping us in here for?"

     "I don't know. I've tried summoning my bayard but it's not working. Either Lance has taken over the Black lion, or there's something really wrong here."

     "And what do you think the probability of the second choice is?"

     "I'd rather not think about that."

 

     Romelle felt around in the dark until she found the cell wall, then knocked on it. Rather than knuckles of metal, the sound the action emitted was more closely comparable to the sound of a pen falling onto a pad of paper. It was minuscule and muffled, and there was no echo whatsoever. No matter the force she used, each hit was no louder than the first.

     

     "What sort of building material is this? It's as though they've found a way to soundproof metal."

     Shiro laid his left hand on the wall. "It just feels like steel. Even if it's inches thick, it should be making a similar noise."

     "It could just be insulated in a way that restricts its ability to vibrate. Less vibration, quieter sound," Matt offered. "It's probably just several tightly compacted layers."

     "Are these people not witches or fairies? They use magic spells? Maybe the cell is enchanted."

     Romelle huffed at Rachel's comment, "We aren't some sort of mythical creature that flies or mixes potions like your Earthen caricatures suggest. We're simply a far more advanced race than you!"

     "Do you have something that you could use to-"

     "Hardly! We don't simply snap our fingers and bend the laws of nature!" Romelle tried to cross her arms, but when the cuffs on her wrists restricted it, she settled for a dirty look that Rachel couldn't see in the dark.

     Shiro sighed. "Girls, please. Romelle, cut her some slack, alright? She's still in the dark about all - ... Matt. Stop."

     Matt gave a little laugh. "Nice one."

     "I wasn't making a pun. This a serious situation."

     "I don't  _see_ what you mean."

     He groaned. "Rachel d-"

     "Shiro, it's fine. We're not exactly clouded with any other options here. There's no harm in a couple jokes." Keith interjected.

     "... Fine."

     "It's not like we can't afford to  _lighten_ the mood a bit."

 

     The room was silent for a moment as the younger four grinned in Shiro's direction. They couldn't see his face, but it was easy to imagine the look on it.

 

     "Shiro," Romelle finally broke the silence, "No joke intended, but you should lighten up a bit. Things could be so much worse. I know our chances of escaping our shady captors seem rather dim at the moment, but you've got to look on the bright side. Out there, we've got a team of bright young paladins that I'm certain will prevail in putting an end to these dark times, and leading us to a shining victory."

 

     There was another silence, much longer this time. It was Shiro who broke it first.

 

     "Romelle, I'm not sure you and Matt have been properly introduced, but you'd make great frie-"

     "Shh. I hear something." Keith quieted the group.

 

     The cell door slid open, allowing the light from the hall to pour in and temporarily blind them. Footsteps closed in on them, and the figure they belonged to was shrouded in shadow, as the light hit only their back. The cell was suddenly illuminated as well, exposing their face. She was an old, gentle looking woman, with red Altean markings down her face. Shiro recognized her immediately.

 

     _"Haggar."_

     Her face showed no attachment to the name.

     "I am Empress Honerva." She kneeled down, just enough to be eye to eye with him. "If you value the lives of those people below us, you will surrender the lions to me. And if they value yours, _they_  will surrender _themselves_  to me." She stood, getting a good look at the quintet. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she grabbed Romelle's face, then Rachel's, then Matt's; she examined each one. She turned to the Alteans guarding the door. 

     "These are not the paladins. Send another extraction team to bring me the Altean princess, the tall one in yellow, and the small boy to me at once. If you find the dark-skinned Red paladin," she looked towards the group, "kill him. Only him. Show them we mean business. Without another paladin, Voltron is as good as dead. Send my  _Left Hand_ to the Black lion's bay to ensure the lion never takes flight."

     "Mistress!" An out of breath Altean rushed to the door. "The Yellow lion has begun an attack on the outer hull, and we believe the Blue lion has just left its hangar."

     "Bring me the small paladin, kill the Red one. You two send  _her_  down to guard the Black lion. Give her this." She held up a black card, which Keith recognized as his own. Honerva headed out the door, but paused, speaking to them with her back turned.

 

     "This cell was designed to prohibit communication of any kind, including through the astral plain. You have no hope of being found nor saving yourself. Keep that in mind."

     The lights were all suddenly off again, and the door could be heard closing. Thinking quickly, Keith summoned his bayard, succeeding due to the open door, and kicked it into that direction.

 

      _CLANG._

 

     He grinned.

 

     "Check and mate."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I was in a rush. Will edit later.
> 
> This chapter is a little short, but if I put the full chapter down right here, it would have been a far less happy chapter


	23. Beginning To Live

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge and Lance try to race through crossfire to reach their lions - but neither of them truly make it through in one piece.  
> Not a pretty chapter.

** WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A BIT OF BLOOD, A COUPLE INJURIES, AND A REFERENCE TO A VERY BAD DISFIGUREMENT. IT'S NOT SUPER DUPER GRAPHIC, BUT IT'S IN THERE, SO THIS IS YOUR WARNING. **

 

 

     "VP6, what is your status?"

     Static.

     "VP6, come in. I repeat, what is your status?"

     Static.

     "Hunk, Allura, what's your status?"

     Static.

 

     Pidge sighed. "I think the energy pulse may have interfered with my comm. We're on our own for right now."

 

     The top floor of the Garrison base appeared to be free of the blue- and maroon-clad soldiers. They'd hacked into the floor's main p.a. and told anyone left there to stay put until other Garrison personnel came to evacuate them, then they started down the stairs. Access to the hangars from the inside of the base was on the ground floor, so the pair had to rush down several flights. When they finally reached the exit, Lance had to yank her back from the door.

     "Do you not hear that?"

     "Yes, Lance, it's gunfire; welcome to war."

     "It's not just gunfire. It's crossfire. We're right between two separate firing squads, here."

     She stood quiet, listening to the noises from beyond the door. She could hear two distinct sets of voices: Garrison staff, and the familiar accents of...

     "Are those Alteans?" Pidge hurriedly pulled up the security feed, but these, like the soldiers before, had obstructed their faces with protective helmets.

     "Look, the Green hangar is closest, and Red is right next door. I'll get you to your lion, and you can do begin the assault on the ship. Make sure you're cloaked, and take out the outer weaponry. I'll get to Red on my own and we'll meet you out there."

     She turned the feed off. "You really don't get it, do you?  _You_  are the leader now, Lance. I'm not just saying that because it's just one step up for you, I'm saying it because I'm following Keith's orders. We all prepared for this, okay? The Black lion needs a pilot, and now, that's you."

     "Wh-... Can't he pilot his lion remotely?"

     "We can't assume he's still alive. They took him as a hostage, but he told us to assume the worst, no matter what. Besides, he can't lead Voltron if he's not actually in the Black lion. You're all we've got."

     "Who-... Who's going to fly Red?"

     "That's up to Red. Keith gave him some options. You can't worry about it right now, though. We have to get you to the Black hangar."

     "Yeah, one big problem with that."

     "What?"

     Lance gestured to his exposed upper bodysuit. "Notice anything missing?"

     Pidge groaned.

     "Your armor... Quiznak. I guess we'll have to hit the Red hangar, then. I'm going to have to lead and try to draw their fire. Get your bayard ready. Protect yourself first, cover me second. Got it?"

     "Pidge-"

     "Got it?"

     "... Got it," he huffed.

     She took a deep breath, swung the door open, and the pair bolted through. It was a open corridor, just one away from the Red and Green hangars, and three from the Black hangar. They frequently had to take cover from the flying bullets and blasts.

     " _~Pidge, Lance, do you copy?~_ "

     "Yeah-Yes! We're here! What's happening?"

     " _~Me and Allura are outside, taking heavy fire from the ship. We can hardly get close now. We have to be careful not to destroy the ship; they've got some of ours!~_ "

     The pair began running for the first corridor. "Yeah, Keith and Rachel, I know."

     " _~No, not just them. They have those two, Shiro, Romelle and... They've got Matt.~_ "

 

     This statement was the first step in a chain of events that resulted in Lance's death.

 

     Step 2: Upon hearing it, Pidge froze if her tracks, pausing long enough for a few armed soldiers to get a good visual on her, without her realizing it.

     Step 3: Lance  _did_  realize it.

     Step 4: Lance shoved her to the ground, out of the line of fire of the firearms and the strange, unidentifiable device held by one of the attackers.

     Step 5: This action put  _him_  in the line of fire instead, and just as the shots rang out, Pidge watched in horror as a blaster and a bullet both skimmed his right side, another bullet shot clear through his shoulder, and the Altean device emitted a concentrated surge of energy, which both electrocuted him and took off a part of his right hand.

 

     Step 6: She cried out as he collapsed to the floor.

 

     "No...!" She scrambled over to him, dragging his body the rest of the way to the next corridor. Thankfully, the soldiers didn't follow, being held up by the other Garrison crew. She'd seen blood. She'd seen the gruesome effects of war up close and personal, and smelled burning and decaying flesh but this - ... Pidge shook as she turned him onto his back. His whole right side was darkening with blood, from his shoulder to his upper hip. Seeing and examining his hand was the worst of it.

     It wasn't bleeding; it had been almost cauterized by the electrical burns. The burns themselves more closely resembled a lightning strike burn, rather than usual electrocution. But at the center of his palm, he had a hole, about an inch or so in diameter; it was simply... gone. No flesh, no bone, and nothing in between. It was clear through, almost like part of his hand had just ceased to exist.

     "The... The nanotechnology... The shock... I-I think they managed to neutralize some of the atoms in your hand... It practically disintegrated. It was concentrated, but the resulting shock..."

     It wasn't until now that she'd noticed his lack of response. He didn't flinch, hadn't made a sound, and his chest wasn't steadily rising and falling with breath. She checked for breathing, felt and listened for a pulse, finding...

 

     Nothing.

 

     "No, no, no! You can't die! Not here, not like this!" Her voice broke as the tears began to flood her eyes. She'd always been strong, nearly fearless in any situation. But now, her brother was a hostage and her partner was lifeless in her arms. She hardly heard Hunk's voice on her comm.

 

     " _~Pidge? Lance? What just happened?~_ "

     "He... He's been shot." She forced the tears away. "Twice in the side, both grazes. Once in the shoulder, clean through and nonlethal. His hand... He's been electrocuted by some sort of device. I think it..."

     She stopped, her eyes widening.

     " _~Pidge? I need you to focus, alright? Is he okay? What's-~"_

     She held her bayard in one hand, shoving her helmet off with the other, never answering Hunk. Ripping off her gauntlet, she stripped back his bodysuit enough to expose his bare chest. She laid the cold metal against his right abdomen, holding her electrified katar just below his left shoulder.

     "I am so sorry."

     She pressed it to his chest. An electric shock ran through his body, heading straight for the metal gauntlet. His body lurched with the shock. She listened and felt for a heartbeat again. Nothing. She repeated this process twice before giving up and giving him cpr, trying to keep oxygen flowing to his body. 

     Pidge put her helmet closer to her as she shouted into her comm, "VP6. Hit your nearest med bay. I need a shot of Epinephrine, a bunch of doses for morphine, gauze and anything else needed to treat three gunshot wounds. And a hand brace if you see one. Get to the Green hangar in less than five minutes, because Lance's life depends on it."

     She held her breath.

     " _~... Copy that. I'll make it in two.~_ "

     She gave a relieved and teary sigh, continuing chest compressions and mouth to mouth in a steady rhythm. Her fear had turned into determination.

 

     "I told you that you'd see the beach again, and I'm going to make sure you do. You're gonna be fine."

 

     More chest compressions. Two breaths.

 

     "There's no way you're going to leave me as a widow at  _quiznaking sixteen_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live...  
> It is that fear that will raise the dead.  
>  (Also, bear with me through this chapter; I promise things get better. I am a Lance stan and would not hurt my baby boi any more than necessary I assure you. He'll walk it off.)


	24. Strange Capers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith escapes into the corridors of the Altean ship, and we learn the real reason Veronica had slighted him at the Blue lion's cave. VP6 comes to Lance's rescue, and he comes face to face with the new Red paladin.

     TEN DAYS PRIOR

 

     Veronica leaned over the sink, spitting out toothpaste into the running water. She rinsed off her toothbrush and shut off the tap. Taking a deep breath, she slowly looked up, meeting her own eyes in the reflection of the mirror. Her body was exhausted, bruised and worn from hours of endless work. She hated thinking about the fact she was a soldier. She wasn't supposed to be. Her place was on the ground, withing the walls of the base. An analyst. Such a simple job. Working for Commander Holt. More challenging, but straightforward. And now?

     She yawned, her hand shaking a bit as she put her glasses back on. They were still fogged from the shower's steam. She felt the gun pressed against her leg, its holster just barely visible from under her over-sized pajama shirt. Wearing a holster to bed. Had wearing it really become such a habit she'd put it on with her sleepwear? She pulled it off and set it on the countertop. She hated that she'd become so used to the feel of it, that seeing a hand-held killing-machine was so commonplace to her. Why had she allowed that to happen?

     Her eyes rose back to her reflection, being drawn to the silvery chain around her neck. She reached for it, her fingertips brushing against the smooth, V-shaped pendant, still wet from her shower. Her own initial had begun to feel strange. So familiar, yet so common now that it was foreign; it wasn't hers anymore. It didn't feel as genuine as it once had, as it was now some sort of trendy symbol and not a piece of her identity. She felt almost... Robbed.

     Sighing, she dropped her toothbrush and holstered handgun into her small shower bag and headed for her dorm. She slipped in quietly, trying to tune out the snoring coming from the lump that was her sleeping roommate. She wondered if this is how it was for Lance and Rachel; sneaking in to their rooms after a night of crow-knows-what, hoping that the fact they were in pajamas would be enough to fool whoever spotted them crawling into bed.

     Being able to lay down after a long day was nothing short of a painful blessing. She set her holster on her bedside table, staring at it as her head met the pillow. As she closed her eyes, she prayed she'd never have to use it again, even with as childish as that wish seemed.

 

 

 

     PRESENT DAY

 

     The cell was still blackout dark, and they may as well have all been blind, but Keith managed to shuffle to the source of the sound. He felt around until he found himself awkwardly stroking the air - the gap between the door and the frame. He'd really done it. He silently cheered for himself as he listened for footsteps, then shoved the door open the rest of the way. There was a  _click_ that indicated it was locked in place and he released his grip. It stood open.

     He summoned his bayard to his hand, the glow of its transformation into a sword illuminating his restraints. He cut himself free; first his wrists, then his ankles. His wrists still burned with pain, but as far as he could tell, they hadn't really been broken. He meddled with the outside control panel to the room, turning the inner cell lights on. He tossed the bayard into Matt's lap.

     "Sorry, but I have to leave you all in here. It's safer here than anywhere else on the ship, and none of you are actually wearing any sort of armor. Cut yourselves free and wait until you're rescued. If someone who's not on our our side gets here first, the four of you will have to take advantage of the element of surprise. It's the only thing you've really got on them, so don't hesitate. I'll see you all on the other side, got it?"

     The quartet hesitantly nodded, accepting what little choice they had. Without protective gear, they had little to no chance of getting off the ship alive. Staying in the cell, at the very least, they were protected from crossfire.

     Keith watched as the door between them closed, locking them in the cell once more. He felt a pang of guilt for not telling them the real reason he was leaving them here, but what they didn't know couldn't hurt them. At least not yet.

     He inched down the dark hall, remembering every twist he had to follow and doors he had to pass before stopping at the room he knew held his luxite blade. He opened the door, snatched it and his helmet up, and slid back out into the corridor.

     

     He'd seen this place before.

     

     Not when they were first taken prisoner, but every now and then in his memories, flashing through his head and leeching into his dreams at night.

 

     He'd seen all of this.

 

     He just hadn't expected to see it all again so soon.

 

     He wasn't ready.

 

     But fate wasn't going to wait until he was.

 

     He gripped his blade tightly.

 

     It was time.

 

 

 

     FIVE DAYS PRIOR

 

     The lab was empty, but Veronica checked over her shoulder anyway. Producing her purple S-Class badge, she scanned it on the card reader.

 

      _Bzzzt._

 

     The door slid open. She cautiously stepped in, looking around at the mess. Designs for armor, weapons, and bayards were strewn across every surface. Half-completed components of said designs had been shoved aside in reckless piles, leaving room for a giant empty space she assumed had once been home to the finished product. She took a seat atop a stool at the desk, shuffling through the papers and stacking them neatly as she did. She'd gotten a neat little pile going when she found it.

 

_**OPERATION V/P/6/B/R/3 AND VARIATIONS** _

_**PALADIN IDENTIFICATION AND CALL CODES** _

__

She flipped it open. There was a packet of about ten pages, the first seven being profiles on each of the paladins. Each profile included name, class, rank, armor color, lion, active paladin number, and much more. Each had an identification code.

 

**_Shiro: TBK0BK1-IN_ **

**_Lance: LBE1B1R2-A_ **

**_Pidge: KGR2GR1-A_ **

**_Hunk: HYW3YW1-A_ **

**_Keith: KR4R1BL2-A(T)_ **

**_Allura: APK5BE2-A_ **

**_NAME REDACTED: VP6BR3-T(A)_ **

 

     She looked more closely at the last profile.

 

     VP6BR3-T(A)

     NAME: REDACTED

     CLASS: V

     RANK: A

     ARMOR: PURPLE

     ACTIVE(?) NUMBER: 6

     LION(S): BLUE (TEMPORARY?); RED (TEMPORARY?)

     

     Most of the rest was redacted, including age, sex, residence, experience, contact and so on. She didn't need it. Closing the file, she slipped it under the neat stack of designs and turned to what was left of the mess. It was in this disorganized pile that she found a worn, folded and re-folded piece of loose-leaf that would later set her off at the Blue lion's cave. The message was in rushed, barely legible handwriting that, through process of elimination, she determined was Keith's.

 

     _darkness, shuffle clang push door_

_Matt_

_running down corridor, pass, pass, pass, left, pass pass, right, second door, blade  
_

_break beacon? electric shocks, burning?  
_

_caught in shock -- > death?  
_

_//prep paladin for postsuicidesacrif Veronica/Coran/Rizavi?/ Romelle//  
_

 

    There were more names, each becoming less and less legible. Veronica frantically searched the room to find handwriting samples so she could confirm her initial assumption. She had been right. It was Keith's writing.

     He'd seen a vision of his own death in the abyss. Instead of trying to prevent it, he prepared the team for it.

     It was then that she decided to rewrite fate.

 

 

     PRESENT DAY

 

     VP6 took a deep breath, thrusting the needle into Lance's chest. It felt like years passed before he lurched and gasped for breath, beginning to breathe heavily to resupply his body with oxygen. Quickly afterwards, his eyes were opened and he was attempting to sit up.

     The tears almost flooded her eyes again as Pidge wrapped her arms around him, forgetting about his wounds for a moment. He flinched and groaned in pain, and she quickly backed off.

     "The morphine!" She scrambled for the handfuls of 2mg shots VP6 had brought. "How many do we use for these kinds of wounds? What's the cc conversion? We have to use a couple hundred cc's, right?"

     "What, no! This isn't some medical drama on daytime television!"

     "How am I supposed to know how much to use?!"

     VP6 quickly administered two of the shots, putting the rest into Lance's good hand. Double checking the bandages, they pulled his bodysuit back onto him.

     "Can you walk?"

     "I'm going to have to. I... I have to get t-," he grimaced as the girls help him stand. He finally got a good look at VP6 through her helmet.

     "V... Veronica?"

     She looked to Pidge. "Go. The base has pretty much cleared out since Hunk and Allura started the attack on the ship. Take the Green lion and help incapacitate the ship. Don't let them take off, but don't destroy it. I'll get Lance to his lion."

     Pidge nodded. She held Lance's head in her hands.

     "Don't you dare play martyr with me again."

     Rather than the typical good-luck kiss she'd seen in so many romantic movies, she stood on her toes and pressed her forehead to his for a short moment. The look she received from him as she pulled away told her that he'd understood the gesture, and she make a break for the Green lion.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We that are true lovers run into strange capers...
> 
> DID YOU GUESS RIGHT??????  
> Yeah, sorry about the red herrings my dudes


	25. Embracing Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Veronica takes on the Red lion with some help from Lance. He, however, will have to fight to take on Black.
> 
> The Ambassador is back, bois.

     "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me? Why was it a secret? Why didn't you tell anyone?" Lance repeatedly demanded an answer and got no clear response.

     "One, I did tell someone; mom. Second, we don't have time to explain everything right now, okay?"

     She helped him to the Red hangar, scanning her card and hesitantly allowing him to try to walk on his own. The pair hurriedly suited Lance up, having to avoid his wounds and bandages as best as possible. He dumped the shots of morphine into his helmet and held it in his good hand. Red stood and lowered its open mouth to Lance, and the duo climbed aboard.

     "Okay, I'm going to drop you off just outside the Black hangar. We don't have time for you to hobble there alone."

     "Red's not exactly the most agreeable, so you're going to have to really try to work with him. He'll help you, but you have to trust him."

     "Allllright, so-" she sat in the captain's chair in the Red cockpit, and its system shut down. "What? What did I-?"

     Lance laid a hand on Red's interior. "Listen, bud, a lot of people are in trouble right now, and I have to fly the Black lion for a bit. This is my sister Veronica-"

     "-Hello."

     "-and you can trust her. You  _have_  to trust her, and you have to help her, alright? If we to this right, I'll be back before you know it. Okay?"

     Red didn't respond.

     "Red! This is not the time, okay? Something's going on with Keith and we have to-"

     At the sound of Keith's name, the lion came to life, letting out a roar Lance remembered from the Castle. He watched as Veronica spaced out for a moment after taking hold of the controls.

     She gently pushed the controls forward, and Red followed suit. She beamed. "Alright, kitty. Let's do this."

     Red shot from the hangar, and it took a few moments to get used to the flying, but Veronica had clearly connected with Red, letting him do a majority of the work. She laughed, excited by the rush of its incredible speed. Hunk's voice came through her comm.

     "Veronica! Where's Lance?"

     "He's with us. The Red lion and I are dropping him off at his hangar and we'll be there right after."

They quickly spotted the Black lion's hangar, and Red touched down on its own, lowering its mouth to the ground on the inside of the security fencing.

     "Lance, wait." She reachedto her neck, removing a necklace. Veronica put it on him. The pendant was a small, silvery 'v'. "That's the activation chip for my bayard. Leave the red bayard with me. Pidge said I would need it."

     He nodded, summoning it and tossing it to her, then taking he purple bayard in his injured hand. He held it up, activating his sword to test it out. Then he deactivated it and put it in his upturned helmet with the morphine.

     "One more thing; use one of those shots at a time, and only when the pain is really bad. Be careful not to use too much." Lance patted it as he stepped off. "Behave yourself, Red. Keep her safe." He took a deep breath as they took off towards the Altean ship. He didn't let it go until they were out of sight, and he turned to enter the Black hangar.

 

     Upon entering it, he halted. An Altean in an elegant dress and a face framed by wavy locks of purple hair stood silently between him and the Black lion. He knew at once that this had to be the so-called 'ambassador' Allura had described before. He pulled the bayard from his helmet as he carefully set it on the ground. He held it tightly in his left, undamaged hand. It glowed and stretched into an Altean broadsword. She herself drew a longsword.

 

     The invisible circle had been drawn.

 

     "You really going to fight me in a  _dress_?"

     She showed no emotion. "Would you rather I remove the dress and kill you in skin alone?"

     He shrugged. "That _would_  be rather distracting. But I gotta tell you, girls who want to kill me aren't exactly my type."

     "I didn't suggest that offer as a matter of seduction."

     "And _I_  didn't turn it down 'cause I thought it would  _work_." He pointed at her with his sword. "I love a dangerous woman, but seeing as I've already got one I don't have much need for another."

     "... You're trying to anger me."

     He rested his sword on his shoulder. "I'd rather stall you than die."

     "I'd rather kill you than listen to one more word from your insolent mouth."

     "Then hurry up and try so I get to my lion over there."

     "You're not going to survive this duel."

     "I've already died once today," his sword lowered to his side, readied, "so I don't think dying here is gonna stop me either."

     "You don't fear death. How...  _Foolish_."

     "No. I'm  _not_  afraid of death, but there  _is_  a little green gremlin that I am absolutely terrified of disappointing, and considering the fact she's standing just behind you over there..." He pointed behind her with his sword.

     She looked behind her, seeing nothing. She looked back to see him charging straight for her. She'd fallen for the oldest trick in the book.

 

     She slashed, blocking the blow. He swung it back around and in the same motion as before, hitting her sword high and hard, knocking it behind her head. She slid out of his range, and he continued with his motion, spinning around and standing ready. They paused for a moment, debating on whether to strike. They did so at the same time, the clashing metal ringing through the hangar. Changing direction, she struck his sword from the opposite side. He blocked, hitting her sword so hard she was thrown off balance, and he kicked her to the ground.

     "I'm not sexist; I'm not going to hold back just because you're a girl."

     She glared at him as she stood. "And I won't spare you just because you're a child."

     "I'm not a child. I'm a soldier."

     "You're no more a soldier than  _I_ a  _man_."

     "Can you just stop talking and try to kill me?"

     "I thought you didn't like women who try to kill you."

     "I don't. I just want to speed this up so I can get back to doing my job."

     She charged for him, slashing down from up high. He ducked below her right arm, elbowing her over his extended leg, causing her to dive to the floor again.

     "You're awfully uncoordinated for someone so cocky. And I hardly have use of my arm here."

     "Thanks for announcing your weakness."

     She charged him again, slashing at him more vigorously, delivering a hard blow that knocked Lance down into his back. He groaned in pain, stumbling back up to his feet. The sounds of metal of metal filled the room for several minutes. With another hard blow, she knocked him down again. She stabbed down at him and he swung, hitting it off its course and kicking her in the stomach. She doubled over, falling on one knee. Lance stood, pointing his sword at the woman gasping for breath.

     "Aren't you going to kill me?" She panted.

     "Not if I don't have to. I don't want to kill anyone, especially not someone who's been manipulated into doing someone else's dirty work."

     "I serve the Empress of my own volition."

     "You serve whatever lie Haggar told you, not her true intentions. If you surrender long enough for us to take her down, I promise you, you'll be much better off."

     She spat on his feet.

     "Fine. Get up so you at least have a fair shot against me."

     "I have a better chance of winning from down here than you do at all."

     "Get up."

     She jabbed at his leg, seeming to think that would do damage rather than simply bounce off his armor, which it did.

     "Are you done? Just get up or give up. I've got a lion to fly."

     He saw a dark stain beginning to stretch beneath her skirt. He tried to remember if he'd actually ever struck her.

     "You can't stand, can you?"

     "I'm fine."

     "You're bleeding."

     She grimaced as she stood. "I am perfectly whole."

     She slashed and jabbed with a fury Lance knew at once that she was desperate. He must really have hit her. He wouldn't be doing too well in a moment, either, as he was starting to really hurt again. If she didn't stop or end it soon, then he had no choice.

 

     She gave a low jab. He stomped the sword to the ground, snapping it from her hand, then kicked it far from her reach.

     "It's over. Get out of here."

     He walked over to the spot he'd set his helmet down, picking it up with his right hand, making sure he didn't drop any of the morphine shots. He heard the scraping of a sword being lifted from the concrete, then the footsteps speeding towards him. Preparing to block an attack, he spun - and plunged his sword deep into the woman's stomach.

 

     His eyes grew wide and his hand around the hilt shook. She'd been holding her longsword above her head, which had left her entire torso exposed. What he'd expected would be a simple block had entered her body at the same point he himself had been shot twice. Her sword fell from her hands and clattered as it hit the floor, and she herself fell limp. Lance watched as her eyes turned glassy and lifeless, and flinched as he pulled his bayard from her stomach. He laid her out on the ground, reaching over and carefully brushing her eyelids shut. He hadn't really killed anyone before. He'd destroyed sentries, but this was a real, flesh-and-blood person. He'd just robbed her of a life, and his armor had red splatters across the previously clean white surface. It was horrible.

 

     He was a murderer.

 

     He couldn't stop shaking.

 

     Tears stung the corners of his eyes as he dumped the shots from his helmet and shoved it onto his head. In his head, he told himself he would simply have to brave the pain. Somewhere in his heart, ditching the pain-relievers was the first of many ways he would punish himself for taking away something so precious from someone who didn't truly deserve it. He looked up at the Black lion.

     "Look, I don't deserve to lead Voltron. I know that. I'm no leader like Shiro or Keith. But they're both in trouble, and I need your help to save them." He took a deep breath. "I can't do this alone. Please."

     He closed his eyes and held his breath. He stood and waited in silence.

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     "Empress Honerva!"

     Haggar turned to face the young guard. "What is it?"

     He breathlessly responded:

 

     "The Black lion has just been spotted leaving its hangar."

    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. - Kenji Miyazawa
> 
> The battle has only just begun.  
> And we only have like 5 chapters left wow.
> 
> (In other news I got my sign name today because the deaf guy I was talking to saw me drawing. The thing that kills me was that I was drawing Plance fanart.  
> I got my sign name because of PLANCE I am DEAD)


	26. First To Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets help from an Altean guard with the help of Kosmo.  
> Kosmo not only found Keith, but brought a few friends along with him.

     Keith had only seen a portion of the scene playing out before him, and he quickly fund himself lost in a maze of dead ends, forks in the hall, identical doors and not to mention the occasional guard that held a stationary position in every other corridor. Had the guards been sentries, he would have simply cut them down, but these were Alteans. They may as well have been human children; even if he didn't know them, he knew he couldn't lay a finger on him. The image of their innocence had been burned into his mind. He'd come to grow quite fond of Romelle and her antics, and Coran and Allura weren't all that bad, either. The instant he saw Altean markings, he automatically assumed they were untouchable by anyone with morals.

     He knew better than anyone that appearances were useless in aiding judgement of one's character, but un-learning to associate Alteans he didn't know with the ones he did was proving to be extremely difficult. He felt like a hypocrite, remembering Allura's past disdain for the Galra and his fight to convince her they weren't all bad. She'd trusted him, but her distrust of the Galra had overshadowed that. Of course, when she finally did come around, that ended terribly as well. He made a mental note not to fall for a backstabbing Altean boy.

     At the time, Allura's hate deeply hurt him. After the trust gained between them, her attempt to sever the tie, and her heartfelt apology for the attempt, he still felt a distance between them. He'd hoped it would pass, but it sure seemed to be taking its time in doing so. What saddened him more deeply than the rift was the fact it felt so status quo to him. He hated that he'd become so used to the feeling, that being a pariah was so commonplace to him. Why had he allowed that to happen?

      He heard a scream around the corner of the corridor. Against his better judgement, he ran towards it, trying to get a glimpse of who the source of the noise was. As he expected, it was an Altean guard. She had a gun pointed at something beyond his limited field of vision. She began to panic, running from... Kosmo?

     Keith watched, dumbfounded, as the blue wolf chased after the frightened guard, followed by... Was that... Rover? And Commander Holt's dog? He whistled, ending the chase as Kosmo teleported himself, the Altean, and Bae Bae to him. A small Galra drone turned around and followed. It certainly _looked_ like Rover. He turned his attention to the terrified guard.

     "If I let you go, what will I get in return?"

     "Wh-whatever you want. Anything."

     "Will you take me to the ship's power core?"

     She looked confused, but nodded without hesitation.

     "Listen, you can trust me, alright? Your empress... She's not who she says she is. I'm trying to make sure you and your people are safe. I need your help to do that."

     She said nothing.

     He offered her his hand. "I promise you, no harm will come to you on my watch. The wolf isn't going to hurt you, either. He's on your side, too."

     She maintained eye contact as she took his hand and he helped stand her up. "I don't trust you. But I've already promised to help you, and I always keep my word." She examined him closely. "You're the Galra paladin."

     "Yes."

     "We've been told awful stories of what you've done."

     "Like what?"

     "You infiltrated ships and killed your own people. Thousands died by your hands."

     "That's a lie."

     "I know."

     "You... You do?"

     "I can see it in your eyes. You're not evil. You've just chosen the losing side of the war."

     "Maybe I did. That doesn't convince me I picked the _wrong_ side, though."

     "... Perhaps you didn't. But I trust in my empress over a stranger with kind eyes and pets."

     "Do you trust that I won't kill you the moment you turn your back?"

     "... I suppose."

     "Can I trust that you won't kill me or rat me out to your empress the first chance you get?"

     "I will take you to the power core unharmed and undetected. From there, it's back to business."

     Keith nodded. "That's fair."

     The odd group began to make its way through a seemingly random pattern of corridors and turns. The guard stopped them suddenly.

     "Your pets are too loud to pass through the next hall."

     "Are you talking about the dog panting, their claws clicking on the metal floors, or Rover?"

     Rover chirped at the sound of his name.

     "All of them. We must be dead silent to get through here unnoticed."

     Keith kneeled before Kosmo. "I need you to take Rover and Pidge's dog and find Shiro. I want you to get them off this ship and back into the base. We'll meet up after." He hugged him, knowing the last sentence was an outright lie. The wolf sat and watched as Keith and the Altean continued on alone.

     Kosmo may have been an animal, but he was far from dumb. He was also far too loyal to let Keith venture too far off without him. So as he watched his boy turn another corner and disappear from view, he formed a plan.

     "Bae Bae?" Matt jumped at the sudden appearance of the family dog.

     "Rover?" Shiro recognized the tiny drone.

     "Ai! Lindo cachorro! Eres la cosa mas dulce que he visto! You must be Kosmo. My brother told me all about you, yes he did!" Rachel fawned over the wolf as if it were a tiny puppy, which seemed strange even to the other three who'd met him prior. The wolf basked in the attention for a few minutes before turning to Shiro. He stood in front of him, getting close enough to teleport him from the cell. He did this with all the prisoners, one by one, but did not take them to base as Keith had instructed. All four of them found themselves in an unfamiliar hallway, with Kosmo attempting to lead them. There were seven of them total; four people, two dogs, and on drone. All seven turned the corner the wolf had seen his boy disappear behind only a few minutes earlier.

     He was certain that his boy would be happy to see them all. He knew his boy needed their help. His boy tried to send him away because of the danger he hadn't wanted him to face. He hated to disobey his boy, but with his new team behind him, he could protect his boy from the danger.

     Kosmo may have been an animal, but he still loved his boy to much to let him go on alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poor dog, in life the firmest friend. The first to welcome, foremost to defend. - Lord Byron  
> God bless the goodest boy


	27. Sheep and Lions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All five lions are in the sky now - but the team has a hard time swallowing Lance's sudden change.

** WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS A MENTION OF BLOOD - NOT LIKE A GRAPHIC INJURY SCENE, BUT SOME PEPLE DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT BLOOD, SO HERE'S YA WARNIN'. It's not mega graphic, but it's not pretty, either **

 

 

 

 

     "Gaugh! Hunk! Watch it!"

     "How am I supposed to see your lion if it's cloaked?"

     "I'm cloaked so I can cover you undetected! You're the one changing directions fast enough to give Tron a headache!"

     "I don't know what 'Tron' is!"

     "Just don't fly so recklessly!"

     "Can't you two get along long enough to finish this one battle?" Veronica's voice came through everyone's comms. "Honestly!"

     "We're under a lot of stress at the moment, V," Hunk dropped a few hundred feet, stomping out an external cannon.

     "That's exactly why we can't fight right now!"

     "Veronica!" Allura's cockpit feed came up on the Red lion's controls. "Where is Lance? Did he make it to the Black lion?"

     "I dropped him off from the outside. He was standing outside the hangar when I left, but I'm pretty sure he got in without a problem."

     "Has anyone received any transmissions from the Black lion?"

     A unanimous no.

     "Are you two certain he was in good enough condition to fly?"

     The girls practically shouted in simultaneous response, "Yes!"

     "I hate to be _that guy_ , but isn't it possible that he got attacked when he was trying to get to the Black lion?"

     "Hunk, there's no way! I dropped him off from the outside of the hangar, and no one has access to it from the inside."

     "Maybe not, but they _do_ have Keith."

     "... His card." Allura sent a stream of ice for the base of the ship. "Did he have it with him?"

     "We were headed for the lions, so I don't see why he wouldn't."

     "If he had anything with him, they would have taken it from him."

     "... We have to contact the Black lion."

    "No, you don't. Black lion, checking in."

     A new cockpit feed popped up on the other four lions' controls. One of them gave a startled shout. 

    "L-... Lance? Wh-... The...Is that...?"

    

     Lance's face was grim, something none of the paladins had ever seen before. The expression carried a weight that almost scared Veronica. It was as though something within him had been ripped out, leaving a hollow shell of a boy. No. Not a boy. The face was all wrong. This wasn't just a boy anymore.

     This was a soldier.

     The blood was everywhere. It stained the white of his armor, so saturated that rather than simple splattering, the thick, dark liquid had begun to form droplets that ran down in jagged, uneven vertical lines. The red stains weren't only limited to his armor, either - his face wasn't nearly as wetted with blood as his attire, but the four that saw him would never be able to erase the image of a sunken and sanguinary Lance from their minds. The glow of the Black lion's controls made tiny glares in the splatters, making the entire thing seem all the more surreal. 

     "H-... What-..." Veronica couldn't form the words to ask what Pidge then did.

     "Whose... Whose blood is that?"

     "It doesn't matter right now."

     "You weren't talking on the comms, we thought-"

     Lance lifted his helmet off the cockpit floor. A smeared red hand print took up a large portion of the left side. He tossed it behind him. "I didn't exactly feel like wearing that at the moment."

     With his hand now empty, they all saw the dark stains covering the majority of his left hand and forearm. He rested both hands on the controls, his face hardening despite the fear in his heart.

     "Uhm, Lance..." Allura did her best to regain herself. "We've taken out the last of-"

     "Have you encountered a robeast yet?"

     "Uh- No, w-"

     "Then it's not over. They may be stuck on Earth, but Haggar wouldn't show up without one of those things. How long have you been holding them down from the outside?"

     "Since about ten minutes or so after the initial attack. We've gotten no word from inside at all, and we haven't seen hide or tail of the five inside."

     "Six." Lance punched something into his console.

     "Sorry?" Allura's eyes narrowed. "Did you say 'six'?"

     "Yeah. Allura, get me the best sonar map you can to the ship. Locate entrances, exits, whatever. Pidge, I need you to try to hack into anything of theirs that you can. I don't care what, but take away their control of it." Lance focused back on the feed. "Hunk, you need to get a location on Rover."

     "What? Why Rover?"

     "Because I sent him to find Kosmo so he could possibly teleport the prisoners out. I'm not picking up anything from out here, but I don't exactly know how to lock onto him, so that's not much help. If anyone can find Keith, it's that wolf. And where Keith is, so is everyone else."

     "Perhaps not, actually." Allura hesitantly offered. "I think I may have finally figured out what Haggar wanted with Keith."

     "What?"

     "Perhaps she was simply taking hostages, but I believe it's possible she's been after Keith for a while now. Maccidus seemed to imply that at the _very_ least."

     "I though he just hated Keith."

     "No. Haggar has been experimenting with quintessence for a long time now, and I don't think it's any secret that Keith has an incredible amount of it."

     "Allura," Veronica started, "we can't sense that kind of energy like you can."

     "No," Lance shook his head, "we can. Maybe it's something you learn to do after exposure to it for a while, but it can be done. That's got to be how Keith found the Blue lion."

     "Constant exposure to a strong source of quintessence has shown to have strange effects on the mind and body. He lived near the Blue lion all his life, which adds up to years of exposure."

     "And he's Galra," Hunk perked up. "He's got some weird connection to it in the same way that Lotor would. Because he's a mutt, his quintessence would be something Haggar had never gotten her hands on before."

     Allura nodded. "Precisely."

     "So why take other prisoners, then?"

     "Maybe they took prisoners so we wouldn't attack their ship. Or to use as leverage for either us or Keith." Pidge typed something else into the console. "I can't get into any systems from my lion. I'll have to go down to the ship." 

     "Oh, crow." Veronica mumbled something in Spanish.

     "He's _what_ in the _huh_?" Lance attempted to decipher what she'd said.

     "Keith. I'd nearly forgotten. We're going to have to send Allura down there."

     "What, why?"

     "Allura, you brought Lance and Shiro back from the dead, right?"

     "Well, I... I wouldn't exactly put it that way, but I suppose I did."

     "You're going to have to do that for Keith now, too. He's trying to take the ship down from the inside. He's going to get hurt when he does, and I think it might actually kill him."

     "So a ground mission it is, then." Hunk watched as a signal popped up on his controls. "I've got a lock on Rover, and if you give me a tick I should be able to get into his camera feed."

     "Hunk..."

     He stopped typing and sighed. "Let me guess, the robeast just made an appearance."

     "Uh, yeah."

     He groaned. "Votron time, then?"

     Lance got a tight grip on the Black lion's controls, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He relaxed into it, becoming one of mind and begging the cat to grant him some assistance in what he was about to do.

 

     "That's right, team."

 

     Lance opened his eyes, dawning his signature grin as he felt the Black lion tense. They were ready.

 

     ** _"Form Voltron!"_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.  
> So which one is team Voltron?


	28. Preparing Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith comes face-to-face with Honerva, who begins to reveal her true intentions only to be cut short by a traitor - and a martyr.

FIVE DAYS PRIOR

     "You aren't going to stop me. If you try to tell anyone else I'll just deny it."

     "Kogane, you can't just throw yourself onto the knife, here! The team needs you!"

     "No, apparently they don't. I saw visions of a lot of things out there, but I didn't see anything past that point for me. I'm not going to fight fate."

     "After all the things you been through, you're not even going to try to fight?"

     "Funny, when we told you about Lance and Pidge, even though you loved the idea of your little brother sweeping the princess off her feet, what was it you said? 'No point in fighting something set in stone'. And then what did you do? You and Hunk went off and planned some wild vacation adventure to shove them together faster."

     "That's not the same thing, Kogane, and you know it. You shouldn't be rushing yourself to your own death."

     "You know what, Veronica? You're right. I shouldn't. But I am. You know why? Because in doing so, I'll be saving your ungrateful a-"

     "You don't have to die for us. We'll figure something out."

     "... I've done everything I could think of. You are all that's left. I've got no way out of this, so you are going to have to fill the hole I leave in Voltron."

     "No."

     " _Pardon-?_ "

     "Mark my words; I'm going to guard your life even if it costs me my own."

     Veronica snatched the knife from his hand, slitting her palm, then grabbed his and did the same. She clasped his bleeding hand in hers. He yanked his hand away.

     "Why did you do that?" He wrapped his hand in his shirt.

     "Because," Veronica held up her hand, bloodied by both of them, "we're blood brothers now, whether you like it or not. Your blood is my blood, and you'd better believe I'm not letting a drop of it spill. Got it?"

     "There are better ways of making promises that don't involve cutting people open-"

     "-And this is still the only thing that's going to resonate with you. You're my family. My brother. I'm not going to let you leave us without a fight."

 

  
PRESENT DAY

     "Did you really think you'd get this far into my own ship without my knowledge?"

     Keith didn't answer, keeping a tight grip on his luxite sword. The Altean he'd trusted had led him into a trap. He'd guessed that she would, but he hadn't seen anything in his vision involving the witch Haggar, who now stood before him. He knew this room, the crystal and its interface that would be his killer; he'd seen it all before.

 

     "I've waited a long time to see you again."

     "Can't say I'm happy to see you." He glared as the guard that had led him to the room crossed to Honerva's side, standing behind her and keeping her gun aimed for Keith.

     "No, I don't imagine you are."

     "Why did you kidnap us?"

     "I was aiming to capture the true paladins. I was only able to get my hands on you. It's not a total loss; you are the biggest prize of the Voltron paladins."

     "Why is that?"

     "Your quintessence." The way she said it sent a shiver down his spine. "Kuron is a fake. He may be on your side now, but his is not any concern of mine. The dark one in blue... He's hardly of any worth to me either. His quintessence is strong, but he himself is not worth the fight he puts up. The large one has an incredible influence on others; he is a walking peace treaty. The child is nothing short of a genius. The princess has mastered Altean alchemy and is the closest I'll ever get to Alfor."

     "And me?"

     "You are a half-breed. You don't have the superior blood that Lotor carried within him, but your quintessence is as unique as his. All of you were exposed to the pure quintessence field, making you more valuable to my research. Not just anyone can survive what all of you have, and few have the skills the four of you possess."

     "But Lance was there, just like the rest of us. You must know that. Why is he not worth as much to you as the rest of us?"

     "He's not any more special than any other human, apart from his value to you four. There are many things I can do to him that would cause you to bend to my will."

     "Then why would you order him to be killed?"

     "Because I had _four other_ prisoners to use in his place. He'd become a liability alone."

     "That's where you're wrong."

 

     She glared.

 

     "Lance is the least of your worries. Your biggest liability is one you brought on board yourself."

     She scoffed. "Are you referring to yourself?"

     "I'm referring to your own people."

 

     Honerva felt a gun to her back.

 

     "You told us that we were here to reclaim the Voltron lions for the Altean people." The guard wavered. "How could you lie to us? Why would you? What kind of research are you doing on quintessence that you'd not only risk so many lives, but hide your true intentions?"

     She turned to the girl, gently pulling the gun from her hands. "We _are_ here to reclaim the lions. The paladins are simply a spoil of the battle."

     The fear and doubt that he'd watched grow over the past few minutes immediately faded from the girl's eyes. She took a knee, bowing to her empress. "My sincerest apologies, your Highness. I am am unfit to be called your subject."

     "That you are, my child."

 

     Keith watched in horror as the blast shot clean through the girl's body.

 

     There was no blood; her body simply... Fell apart, as if it were dust in the wind. He wrenched himself free of the disbelief, charging the interface and plunging his blade deep into it.

     Pain shot through his body, taking over his entire being. He heard a faint shout, but his brain would not allow him to process it. The lights of the ship flashed and flickered, sparks flying from the ceilings. Keith was thrown down to the ground after the surge stopped for a split second. His blade stayed stuck in the interface, the luxite having a strange effect on the ship's power.

     The electricity shooting through the ship downed numerous weapons and systems. Connection to the robeast was lost. After a few moments, the ship shook violently in short intervals.

     "Empress!"

     Honerva snapped her head towards a guard at the door. "What is it, child?"

 

    He trembled as he spoke. "They... They've formed Voltron-" The ship shook again. "The creature is badly damaged from the power surge. It's immobilized."

     "The team inside?"

     "The surge, Empress. We believe they're injured. No one can get in or out of the ship regardless; Voltron has some sort of canon on its shoulder. It's repeatedly taking out any weapons we're able to bring back online. We're dead in the water."

     "That can't be!"

     "And, Empress...?"

     The guard marched forward into the room, Shiro holding the Black bayard to his neck.

     "The prisoners have escaped."

     Haggar roared in anger, disappearing in a black flash of her magic.

 

     Shiro let the guard loose as his eyes fell upon the crumpled heap of paladin on the floor.

 

     Keith didn't respond as his name was called, and then shouted, by his brother-in-arms. 

 

     He didn't move as his faithful canine nudged him and whined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He prepares evil for himself who plots mischief for others...  
> She had it coming.  
> He allowed it to happen.


	29. The Crown Falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel and Matt manage to stabilize Keith as the paladins board the Altean ship. But when Lance leaves his comm in the Black lion, he ends up missing an important message and finds himself in the hands of the enemy. Despite the team's defiance, someone makes a deal to sacrifice her freedom for Lance's.

     "Is he breathing?"

     "I... I think so? I'm not sure."

     "He's got a pulse but... It's all over the place."

     "What do we do? We have no way to get him out of here."

     "We have to do something right here."

     "What can we possibly do here?"

     "Anything it takes."

 

     The group of former prisoners loomed over Keith; Matt looking around to see what he could use to help; Shiro giving him CPR; Romelle comforting Kosmo. Rachel perked up.

 

     "Ai! ¡Lo sé!"

     "What?" Matt gave a confused look.

     "I know what to do! In the movies, they have this... Ai, what's the English... Ah... It's  _desfibrilador._ It sounds like that in English, too."

     "Des... Defibrillator?"

     "Si- Yes, yes! His heart is beating wrong. It's reversible. We make the machine, we can fix him."

     Matt thought for a second. "... Shiro, keep giving him chest compressions. Let me see that bayard."

     He took the Black bayard in his hand, and it glowed and stretched into... A bo staff. He placed it in Rachel's hand. It didn't activate.

     "That's... Weird. I don't know why you wouldn't be able to activate it."

     Shiro spoke without turning. "Not everyone can. We don't know why, that's just how it works."

     Matt placed it in Romelle's hand next. It glowed, growing very little into a circular blade.

     "That's a chakram, I think. Cool weapon." He took a deep breath. "Hit me with it."

     "What?" Romelle exclaimed. "Why?"

     "I have to see if it's electrified. If it is, I might be able to use it."

     She hesitantly pressed it to his outstretched arm. It gave a slight shock. "Like that?"

     "Are you controlling the shock?"

     "I don't know how to work it."

     "Do it again. No holding back."

     She exhaled deeply, then struck him again. This time, the shock was stronger, sending Matt to the ground. He sat up, coughing, and gave a thumbs-up. "That's perfect."

 

     He, with the help of Rachel, pried a piece of the wall away, breaking off a metal scrap. Shiro and Romelle pulled off his chest plate, and Matt rested the metal against Keith's right ribs. Rachel stopped him.

     "No, no, no. You have to put it to the bare skin. And lower than that."

     "Are you sure?"

     "That's how they do it on TV."

     "Rachel, this is Keith's life at stake here. I need you to be absolutely certain."

     "I am."

     "... Alright."

     Shiro held Keith up as Matt started to remove his bodysuit. They laid him back down. Rachel placed the metal in the right spot, and Matt directed Romelle on what to do.

     "It's got to be fast. Really fast. Don't worry about accidentally cutting him. I'm sure he'd rather be bleeding than dead."

     "Right here?"

     "Yeah. You got it or do you need help?"

     "I... I think I can do this. I  _can_ do this." She gave a determined nod.

     "Okay, you give him a shock, wait until I tell you to give the next one. Shiro,  you might have to do more chest compressions in a minute. Everybody stay clear of him. Romelle, don't make skin contact when you shock him."

     "Got it."

     "And... Now!"

 

     Keith's body lurched as Romelle delivered the shock to his left pectoral. A tiny cut began to bleed, but they paid it no mind. Matt felt for the pulse.

 

     "Again... Now!"

 

     The process repeated a few times before -

 

     "He's breathing normally!" Rachel grinned, and Shiro gave a sigh of relief. As if on cue, shouts spilled in from the hall. The floor quivered as several shot went off. A few shouts were cut short as others dissipated. Hunk bounded into the room brandishing a huge firearm. He spoke into his comm.

     "Allura, I got him. Get to my location asap."

     "~ _... On my way now. Veronica's headed to the cell._ ~"

     "No need. They're all here. Guard must not have known they got out yet."

     "~ _You got that?~_ "

     "~ _Yeah. I'll be there in a second._ ~" Veronica's voice came through.

     He stored his bayard, kneeling and wrapping his arms around Rachel and Romelle.. "Thank crow you're alright." He rested a hand on Keith's bare chest, taking note of the good-sized gash on his shoulder and the odd blade in Romelle's hand. "What happened?"

     Matt gently recovered the bayard from her. "He got a nasty shock from the ship's crystal interface. Luckily it was a quick and low one, so his heart acted up but he never went into cardiac arrest."

     Hunk turned to Rachel and pointed at her jacket. "May I?"

     "... Oh! Yes, of course." She slipped it off and handed it to him, which he then pressed against Keith's wound. "He should be fine once Allura gets in here. We knew it was coming."

     Shiro gave a confused look. "How?"

     "Turns out Pidge isn't the only one with a diary on the team. Veronica found some notes he wrote on the stuff he saw in the quantum abyss. He said he saw his own death. I guess he didn't see the part where he was revived. Even if he died, I'm pretty sure Veronica would have found a way to bring him back, with or without Allura."

     "~ _Robeast just took a critical hit. Hopefully the vines didn't hurt any Alteans. You got Keith?_ ~"

     "Yeah, Pidge. He's fine. Bleeding, but alive."

     Keith mumbled something.

     "What?" Hunk leaned in to hear him better.

     "Haggar... She got away. She's... She tried to kill Lance. She's trying... To capture the rest of... Us." He groaned, his eyes opening. He tried to sit up, but Hunk wouldn't let him. 

     "What? Why?"

     "She told the Alteans it was... For the lions. The attack. She's trying to get  _us._ For our quintessence."

     Hunk spoke into his comm. "Guys, Allura was on the right track. She was after quintessence, but not just Keith's. She's after all of us. She's still alive and probably somewhere on the ship. Don't split up."

     "~ _Copy that._ ~"

     "~ _Got it._ ~"

     "~ _Ah, quiznak.~_ "

     "What?"

     "~ _Lance just went in alone.~_ "

     "Just get him on his c-"

     "~ _He wasn't wearing his helmet. His comm's in the Black lion._ ~"

     He groaned. "Of-quiznaking-course!" He patted Kosmo's head. "Can you, maybe, find Lance in here? Like, sniff him out or something?"

     Kosmo disappeared in a flash.

     "That wolf seriously deserves a bronze star when this is over."

     Allura practically fell into the room, kneeling next to Keith as the others scrambled out of her way. She pressed a hand to his chest and the group watched as the Altean magic sealed his wound. He slowly sat up and inspected it.

     "It's not gone, but that's all I can do at the moment. We have to get you out of here."

     Veronica appeared at the doorway, looking towards the way she'd come and clutching tightly at the Red bayard. Rachel stood and rushed to her.

     "Thank crow you're here! I was so worried. The Red one stretched a leg for a minute there and I think that was enough war for me."

     "Sorry, Rach, but we're not even close to done."

     "Now I know why you hate this so much."

     Veronica glared at her little sister. "This is why I told you 'no'! And you went behind my back anyway!"

     "I couldn't let you go off and risk your life while I sat at home nursing a college degree! I had to come!"

     "~ _Guys, now's not the time! Lance is in there alone!~_ "

     "Hunk sent Kosmo after him."

     "~ _Kosmo's with me. I'm on the ship now. Holy cro-~_ " There was a noise over the comms, causing Pidge to be cut off.

     "Pidge? What happened?"

     A struggle was heard over the comms. Shouting. Shots going off.

 

     "~ _Don't you_ dare _hurt him! ... No! ... You can't d-~_ " 

 

     More struggle and static.

 

     "Pidge!" Allura called to her. "What's happening?"

 

      "~ _... I... I found Lance._ ~"

 

      "Where is he?"

 

      In a flash of magic, Haggar appeared before them once more, this time with two guards at her side. The group could hear more heading down the corridor towards them. Bound at the wrists and clearly fresh from a nasty beating, Lance's head was held by Haggar's tight grip on his hair. He was clearly in pain, and the wounds on his side were reopened and bleeding. She hand, glowing with Altean magic, at his neck.

 

      "Surrender to me, and I'll let him live."

      "Get your hands off of him!" Rachel spat.

      Veronica dragged her back. "Stay out of this." she hissed.

      "Make your CHOICE." Haggar boomed.

     

      Kosmo and Pidge teleported between the Empress and the team. He bared his teeth while she aimed her katar for Haggar.

 

      "Let him go."

      "Careful," she moved her glowing hand closer to him, "it would be tragic to lose him to your recklessness."

      She didn't lower her weapon. "You wouldn't kill him. You need him just like you need the rest of us."

      Keith coughed, "No! She ordered an assassin on him. She-"

      "Quiet!" Lance grimaced as her grip on his hair tightened. "If you want him to live, all you must do is cooperate with me."

 

      "You'll just end up killing us all anyway!" Keith shouted.

 

      Hunk nodded. "Yeah! You're telling us to trade one life for four or five? No offense, Lance. But no!"

 

      "... _I'll_ do it. My life for his."

 

      Everyone's heads turned to her quiet voice. Lance shook his head. "Don't-"

 

      "Let him go. You can take a sample of Keith's quintessence to sweeten the deal. He can heal from it if you only take a bit. But I will go with you. Let him go, and I'll go willingly. I'll even help you with your research."

 

      Lance gave a hoarse cry. "You can't!"

 

      Haggar threw him across the room and grabbed her wrist.

 

      "It's settled, then. We leave for Oriande once we get the sample from the Galra boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lift up your head princess, if not the crown falls...
> 
> Who gave in to save Lance?


	30. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A paladin sacrifices themself for Lance's freedom and the salvation of the planet. During their final goodbyes, she reveals her feelings to him.
> 
> But the story isn't over. Not by a long shot.

     "You can't do this."

     "I have to. It's not just you at stake. It's the planet."

     Lance leaned his head back against the wall of the cell. The pair had been left there as leverage to keep Keith and the others from following through. It was as if she knew that they were the two that mattered most to everyone there.

     "I don't know what we're supposed to do without you."

     "You've got Keith back, so you have the Red lion again. Veronica can take my place."

     "She might be able to fly a lion, but she can't replace you."

     "I'm just doing my duty as-"

     "Cut it out. You didn't have to do this. You still don't. We can figure something out." He sat up. "You can't go with her. She'll kill you."

     "Better me than y- than Earth. Like I said, there's a planet at stake here. The entirety of the human race. She may have been down at the moment, but it was just a matter of time before she turned violent. She was letting people live at first, but it was pretty clear she didn't have to. Their new technology could have done away with hundreds of people in seconds. And if she could create a clone of Shiro, who's to say she couldn't have done it to the rest of us and gotten Voltron on her side that way?"

     Her face was sullen. They'd been given the luxury of light, and Lance almost wished they hadn't. It killed him to see her like this. He scooted closer to her, taking her hands in his.

     "I'm not going to do anything without your consent on this, but there are tons of ways we can fight this. Keith might be kinda weak from the whole quintessence thing, but we still have the other five of us. Even if we don't get out of here first, that's still three lions. Crow knows Veronica would rip this ship apart to find us."

     "Lance... Don't make this any harder than it already is."

     It wasn't the response he'd been expecting.

     "I roped you into this from day one, and it's my job to keep you safe."

     "No, it's n-"

     "Lance!"

     He shut up.

     "I need you... To trust me."

     Something about those words cut him deeply. He did his best not to break.

     "You know quiznaking well that I trust you from here to the other side of the universe and back again. We all do. Don't think for a second I don't."

     "Then why are you trying so hard to fight this?"

     "Because I care about you! That should be a given at this point! We're all a family, we can't just let each other rush in to dangerous situations like this."

     Her eyes dropped to the floor at the word 'family'.

     "What?"

     She sighed, then leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt tears against his skin. After a few moments, she pulled away. They locked eyes for a moment, and once again, she surprised him.

 

     She kissed him, more passionately than she'd intended, her tears streaming down her face. When it was over, the shock on his face hurt her even more.

 

     "I took you for granted from the very beginning. It took me too long to see just the kind of person you really were. I was distracted by people who didn't matter. By the time I realized my mistake, I knew it was too late. I'm sorry for that." She placed a hand on his cheek. "I care about you more than just 'family'. I was blind not to understand that sooner. But I'm not the one you belong with. You've moved on from me, and rightly so." She offered a smile. "Treat her right. If you don't, she'll most certainly kill you in your sleep."

     He couldn't help but give a little laugh, and her smile seemed more genuine when he did. They heard footsteps coming down the hall and stood. His face fell again as he looked down at hers. Her tears were still flowing despite her attempts to hold them back. He hugged her tightly, releasing her just before the door to the cell slid open. A few familiar faces came into view.

 

     Veronica, Shiro, Coran, Matt, Hunk and a weary Keith, Romelle, Commander Holt and Colleen, Rachel.

 

     And Pidge.

 

     They all swarmed in around the princess, offering teary goodbyes and thanks, and several people begged her to reconsider. Allura refused the thought, and summoned her bayard, setting it in Veronica's hand and closing her fingers over it.

     "Blue is yours now. Take good care of her."

     Veronica hesitantly nodded.

     Coran was in absolute hysterics, switching back and forth from begging her not to go to insisting that he join her. She shut him down, and he fell into a gloomy expression. No matter what anyone said, no one could convince the princess that this was anything less than her duty.

     A guard banged loudly on the frame of the cell entrance and forced everyone out. Lance and Pidge lingered with her for a moment. She placed a hand on either of their shoulders.

     "You're both two of the bravest soldiers I have ever met. Both of you traveled galaxies away for each other's families, and hardly raised a single complaint along the way. You simply did what you had to do for each other. Don't either of you take the other for granted. You are clearly more than just paladins. You are more than just partners. I have no grounds to be having this conversation for you, but I couldn't let this slip by you two." She wrapped an arm around both of them, and they hugged her back.

     "Keep each other out of trouble, and take care of Coran for me."

     Pidge nodded. "We will, princess." She took off the glasses Matt had once given to her, and handed them to Allura. The princess accepted the gift with great sentiment, and with that, their goodbyes ended.

 

     The Garrison was silent for a long while. Everyone able had stood outside and waved the ship off. Allowing the Altean ship to leave felt like a sin. Once the ship left the atmosphere, the four paladins able to walk unassisted trudged to their lions. They could have called to them, but something about the solitude of walking there was comforting. Veronica carefully approached the Blue lion after Red hadn't responded to her. Its particle barrier fell and its eyes glowed. It hurt to have it confirmed that the princess was truly gone. If she hadn't known better, she could have sworn the lion was sad.

     Lance found himself piloting Red once more. He didn't cry. He had no tears to cry. He led his lion to its hangar, and sat there, hardly possessing the motivation to leave the cockpit. It must have been an hour or so before the girls came to check on him.

     "Lance?" Veronica's voice was soft as she and Rachel made their way to him.

     They found him with his head in his hands. He'd taken off his bloody armor and sat in the captains chair in only his black bodysuit. He'd used Rachel's jacket as a makeshift bandage earlier, and he still had it tied to his side. It was stained dark red. The girls gently kneeled at his sides. None of them spoke. After a few minutes, they resolved to leave him be. They each gave him a hug, and Rachel offered a quick, motherly kiss to his forehead. They left.

     Not long after, Lance felt a small hand on his shoulder.

     "It's not your fault."

     He lifted his head. "Yes, it is."

     "She made her choice. You couldn't have changed her mind."

     Pidge sat on the armrest, her back to him. She continued, "I left Rover on the ship with her. I hope you don't mind."

     "Why did you?"

     "It was Hunk's idea, really. With those upgrades you added to him..." She turned to him. "We'll be able to keep in touch with her. Two way communication won't be easy, but we'll figure it out. We'll be able to keep tabs on how she's doing, where she is, all that. And as soon as we can, we're going back out after them. We have to get the Atlas fixed up again, but there's no way we're just going to leave her out there."

     "She told us not to."

     "She might be a princess, but I don't have to do what she says. She's no ruler of mine."

     Pidge received a tiny smile for her efforts.

     "You did good out there. As the Black paladin."

     "I don't ever want to have to do that again."

     "Too much pressure?"

     "I _killed_ someone. Stabbed straight through her. There was so much blood. I was covered in it." His hands shook. "I don't know if I can keep fighting. In or out of a lion." His head fell into his hands again.

     She kneeled before him, tenderly taking his hands in her own. "I know. It sucks. But we can't stop now. We don't know if that was the last attack." Resting a knuckle under his chin, he raised his head up a bit. "We've got people to protect. Our families. Each other. And now, Allura and the Alteans. There's too much for us to do. And we need you with us. _I_ need you with us. Okay?"

     He buried his head into her shoulder, his arms falling limp at his sides. Pidge hugged him. She felt it more than she could hear it, but Lance gave a muffled, "Okay".

     "Hey, Lance?"

     He lifted his head.

     "I know we just got back, but... Maybe we should take another vacation to the beach. Someone's got to take Rachel back, anyway, and you need time to heal."

     He lifted his hand. "What about this?"

     She smiled. "You remember those prosthetics Shiro was working on?"

     "You are NOT cutting off the rest of my arm."

     "No," she laughed, "We're going to fill it in with a tiny prosthetic that reconnects the bones. Then we can work on getting a skin graft done. It'll be almost good as new. You'll be able to move all your fingers again, and it'll be completely waterproof once the graft is on."

     "So... I'll have a metal skeleton in my hand?"

     "Uh... Sorta? We're just replacing the missing bones and maybe some muscle. It'll take some getting used to, but you'll have your hand back. And, again, once the skin graft is on, you won't be able to see the difference."

     "... When would I get it?"

     "In a week or so. We have to design it and fit it to your hand before we can build it, but we pretty much have everything we'd need to make it. The hard part will be troubleshooting. You'll have to wear a brace and bandages for a while so we can make sure it's functioning properly. Then you'll undergo surgery for the skin; taking a sample and attaching it to your hand. We'll have to take some skin from your thigh, and that'll heal in a couple weeks, but the graft will take a month or more. It's not going to be fun, but if you want to do it, we need to do it soon."

     "I take it you and Hunk already looked into all this?"

     "Actually... It was Rachel and Veronica. They came to us. We weren't really thinking about your hand so much as your side. How is it, by the way?"

     "I don't know. I'm alive, so it's probably not still bleeding. But it still hurts."

     "We need to take you to a med bay."

     He sighed. "I can't face them. I just... I can't." 

     "Hey, listen. All those people in there? You helped save their lives. You are their hero." She stood up, not letting go of his hands. "C'mon. You can't stay in here forever. Red'll get sick of you."

     "That's ridiculous! Red loves me." He patted the console. "Don't ya boy?"

     She pulled him out of his chair. "Lance, we're going." Between them, the pair scooped up Lance's armor and dragged it out of the Red lion. They dumped it on the floor next to the entrance, planning to send someone for it later and get it cleaned. He took a deep breath and put an arm around Pidge's shoulders before opening the door. Upon walking into the corridor, a few people's heads turned to them. To Lance's surprise, they waved and smiled at him. He weakly returned the gesture.

     "You see?" She led him to the med bay, passing several more people along the way. "You're a hero, Lance. You always have been."

    "And _you're_ my hero, Pidge." He ruffled her hair. "Wouldn't be alive if not for you. You really came through on that promise of yours."

     "So, we _are_ going back to the beach?"

     "I will fly you back to Olkarian if that's what you want. I once again owe you my life."

     "You don't owe me anything."

     "Ah, sure I do. Another beachside walk at night maybe? On less depressing terms?"

     "Wait... Are you asking me on a _date_?"

     "Of course not!... Why, do you want it to be?"

     "No-..."

     She thought for a moment.

 

     "Y'know what? Sure. Why not."

 

     "Ah... uh... I-well... Wait- Really?"

 

 --END ACT ONE--   

There will be an epilogue! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The future can never lie about the past. In the end, you will see the beginning...  
> In conclusion, please let plance be endgame


	31. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been years since Allura's leave. Lance has begun a new branch of the Garrison, Pidge and Hunk have begun leading research on biotech, and Keith is leading the Blade of Marmora. The paladins have also developed new relationships; including Kosmo and Bae Bae before she passed away, leaving them with a litter of telepups. But this isn't yet their happily ever after - someone's returned to start the cycle once more.

     "Alright, junior cadets! Let's get the room picked up before we go to lunch."

     "Captain Holt! Your wife is here!"

     "Thanks, kiddo." Lance ruffled the kid's hair and stepped out onto the hallway, closing the door behind him.

     "Pidge, I love you and all, but you gotta stop telling those kids to call me that."

     "Then stop telling them I'm your wife."

     "I'm not going to take the time to explain the details of my relationship with ten-year-olds. Saying you're my wife is short, sweet, and to the point. Saying you're just my girlfriend is a lie."

     She pushed her sunglasses back on top of her head like a headband. She'd kept her hair short, only allowing it to grow out to about halfway to her shoulders. She'd hardly reached 5'2" before she stopped growing taller, which still left plenty of room for Lance to tower over her. She wore a solid green t-shirt beneath a white, unbuttoned, short-sleeve flannel. She dressed so casually, yet never failed to leave Lance absolutely enchanted, and she  _knew it._  It was no secret that Pidge had him wrapped around her finger, even to his students. He was constantly teased by people at the Garrison, and now, thanks to Pidge, the kids; they all called him "Captain Holt". It had gotten to the point that a group of cadets he'd worked with made him a name tag displaying the name "Captain Lance Holt" and had managed to pin it to his official uniform without his knowledge. He didn't mind it if she chose to take his name or not, he would respect her decision - by why did everyone insist he should take hers?

     "Whatever you say, Mr. Holt. Are you ready to go?"

     "Yeah, let me say bye to my kids in here and -"

     She'd already gotten halfway through the door before he had the chance to finish. The kids squealed at the sight of her, and several small girls swarmed her. 'Miss Katie' this and 'Lieutenant Holt' that; they insisted on showing her pictures they'd drawn and telling her about their day. She didn't come in often, given that she worked primarily in Garrison labs, but the children adored her.

     "Hey, kids? Is it okay if I steal Captain Holt away for a while? I'll bring him back in a little bit."

     The kids, of course, didn't mind at all. If she'd asked them to jump, they would've.

     The pair waved goodbye to the group and headed out. They met the Green lion at the front entrance.

 

     They'd been looking at houses for about a week before deciding to live on a gulf. Mexico, being close, had been on their radar a while, but they'd also set a long list of requirements that knocked out every house they'd seen. They landed Green next to the Yellow lion, meeting with Hunk and Keith. Pidge had insisted that they bring them along to see houses with them for second and third opinions, especially given that the other paladins were likely going to be spending a lot of time there as well.

     They walked together to a beautiful two-story home that-

 

     "There's no yard."

     She immediately brushed it off.

 

     "Yeah. The house is nice but... I mean, there's not even room for Kaltenecker."

     Hunk shrugged. "It's a great house, though."

     "Yeah. Certainly beats a shack in the desert." Keith scoffed.

     "I thought you were living with Shiro now."

     "I had to move back out. I love Shiro, but his taste in men isn't all that great."

     "Did Roy rearrange the furniture again?"

     He crossed his arms, his frustrated tangent at the ready. "I don't get what's so hard about setting a couch down. You put it in a room and you leave it until you move out or get rid of it. It shouldn't be possible to get bored of the way furniture is placed. It makes no sense. Is he an interior designer? No! Is he even home often enough that the arrangement of the living room should matter that much? Of course not! It's like he does it just to make things difficult. You know how many times I came home almost blind from exhaustion and tried to sit down in the chair, only to realize too late it wasn't even there? That can be excused if it happens once or twice because you're too tired to focus, not twice a week because the chair no longer exists!"

    The others did their best not to laugh. 

     "Really, though," Lance shoved his hands in his pockets,"we're gonna need a big yard. We need space for our lions."

     Pidge nodded. "And I want some space for my biotech greenhouse. Plus Kaltenecker and the telepups."

     "If they're anything like their dad, they're just going to keep following you through the house. A yard's not going to keep them contained, either." Keith adjusted his ponytail.

     "Actually, if you raise them like dogs and not allow them to run rampant all the time, they'll behave themselves and not end up impregnating everyone else's dogs-"

     "Hey! You love those things, so you can't be mad at him. Let's not forget that it was your dog that tried to get friendly with him."

     "Oh, please! As if dogs had some kind of 'bad boy complex' for alien space wolves. They had a litter because you didn't keep a better eye on him."

     "Speaking of litters, we're gonna need space for our little pups to run around in, too." Lance's eye sparkled at the thought of it.

     Hunk elbowed him. "Did you even discuss having kids yet?"

     "Of course."

     She crossed her arms. "No we didn't." 

     "Fine, we will now. Five kids."

     "One kid."

     "Four kids?"

" _Two_ _._ "

     "Three."

     "Two and another cow."

     "Aughhhh," He groaned. "Fine."

     "Gee," Hunk interjected, "is this a major life decision or a bartering deal?"

     "If I've learned anything from Shiro," Keith offered flatly, "once a ring is involved, there's no difference."

     "Besides, it's not like it'll happen for a while," Pidge assured.

     "How long is a while?" Lance weakly asked.

     "I want to at least complete my biotech first."

     "But research never ends! You just keep innovating anything you make!"

     "Will getting a cow help you cope with the fact you're not going to get a kid before you're twenty-five?"

     He kicked the dirt. "I guess."

     "Then we'll get another cow."

     Hunk shook his head. "That won't hold him for long, Pidge. He's wanted kids since  _he_  was one. He used to steal his sister's dolls, even. Played house more than anyone I've ever met."

     "Of course I want kids! Who wouldn't want-"

     Hunk pointed at Keith. "In theory, they're cute and all, but in practice?" The black paladin grimaced. "I'm not dealing with that. And adoption's spiked recently anyway, so even if I wanted one I'd have to be incredibly dedicated to it. I don't have time for that."

     Lance pointed at him. "And that's why you're going to be alone your whole life. You're going to be one of those guys that develops a  _thing_. We'll be talking about adding another bathroom to our house while you're building a secret bomb shelter and preparing for the end of the world."

     "Nah," Pidge waved him off, "He's going to be one of those weird nature guys that ditches civilization to go live in the forest with a pack of wolves. He's already started his own pack of telepups."

     Hunk looked at him thoughtfully. "I pictured him more as a guy that yells at kids to get off his lawn and then wonder why no one visits him." 

     "Guys? Not to interrupt that fascinating session of mocking me, but..." Keith held up his phone. "Allura just checked in with the Garrison."

     The other three circled in.

     "What'd she say?"

     He read the text from Shiro. "Looks like everything's the same as usual... Quintessence... still a princess... Honerva's-" He stopped. "Wait. She's..." He looked up for a second, then started heading for the Yellow lion.

     "Wait, what's going on?"

     "It's Allura. She just broke atmosphere." He turned to them.

 

     "She's  _home_."

 

     Hunk and Keith took off towards the base. Lance and Pidge lingered a moment in the Green lion.

     "We've been receiving messages from her... But we've never had the chance to say anything back. What's she going to say about," Lance gestured to the silver band on her left hand, "all this?"

     She smirked. "It's been years. Don't flatter yourself. I'm sure she's over you."

     "Thanks," his voice dripped with sarcasm.

     "Aw, son tus sentimientos heridos, mi sirenita?" She gave him an exaggerated pouting face.

     He sighed, shaking his head. "I never should've taught you that."

     She grinned, laying her hands on the controls. "You love that name and you know it. Don't lie."

 

 

     Allura stepped off from her pod, looking no different in age than the day she'd left. But in her absence, much had changed in a way none of them could have predicted. Not long after Allura arrived in Oriande, Honerva re-crowned her as the princess of the Altean people, and she was given the freedom to roam as she pleased. She was a prisoner of Oriande, never allowed to leave, but she was treated with the utmost respect and held a great deal of power there. Honerva kept her word; so long as Allura cooperated, she'd vowed not to return. Every once in a while, an Altean would arrive to take a sample of Keith's quintessence, something they'd not agreed on beforehand but complied with for Allura's sake, but Oriande was otherwise inactive as far as they could tell.

     The princess had been able to send messages via Rover's transmission feed, but Hunk and Matt never had any luck in creating a way to manipulate Rover from so far away in order to send messages back. Seeing her now would be the first time in years they would be able to hold a conversation. The past few weeks had gone by without a transmission, and suddenly she'd announced her planned visit only as she entered the solar system. She stood before them now, clad in elegant robes and an armored chestplate that somehow fit seamlessly in with the rest of her attire. It seemed that she was afraid of being treated as a traitor.

     The worries were, naturally, unfounded.

     "Allura!" Hunk was the first to reach her, sweeping her up into a tight hug, Everyone else followed suit, hugging her tightly as if to make up for the years of lost ones. She quickly poured over the new details of their appearances.

     "Keith! Your hair!" She almost immediately reached out to touch it. "It's grown so long," she laughed. It warmed their hearts to hear that laugh again.

     "And Hunk, you cut yours off. How's Shay?"

     "She's doing great. Her family actually moved here from the Balmera."

     "You're both the same as I left you." She turned to see the other two. "And you... You've both changed so much."

     Indeed, they had. Lance had somehow managed to get a bit taller, but his once lanky physique had filled out a bit from the years of Garrison training. His jaw was more structured, his eyes tired. Despite it all, his beaming grin and the shine in his eyes are no different than they day they'd first met.

     Pidge, too, had grown in height, but hadn't managed to exceed 5'2" before stopping. What truly took Allura back was the fact she no longer resembled the young girl she'd last seen. She couldn't remember how old she'd been then, or how old she was now, but she'd become a beautiful young woman in her absence. Her intellect was practically plastered across her face. She'd traded her shorts and sneakers for sensible jeans and steel-toed work boots, both of which had clearly taken a beating from her biotech field work. The princess took her hands in her own.

     "Pidge, you are absolutely beautiful! Wh-" She then noticed the silvery band on the Green paladin's left hand. Her eyes widened and she flashed an excited smile towards Lance. "Congratulations!"

     "But... Wh- How did you know it was me and not some other guy?"

     "Oh, I've known it would happen eventually. You two were clearly hand-made for each other. Although I am surprised she said yes so soon."

     "Aaaactually..." Pidge gave a little raise of her hand, "I kinda asked him."

     " _Told him_ , you mean," Hunk laughed.

     Lance shook his head. "Sure, she brought it up and I knew she was going to say yes beforehand, but I still asked her myself."

     Keith crossed his arms. "He had to ask twice. He almost burnt down the Garrison the first time."

     "I did not! A few things caught on fire, and we all put it out pretty quickly."

     "How did you manage..." Allura stopped herself. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

     "Princess!" Coran rushed to her, the rest of the incoming group behind him. Commander Holt had greyed, but was otherwise no different, and neither Coran nor Veronica seemed much different at all. Shiro's hair was now swept back and he wore thick-framed glasses. He'd also allowed a bit of facial hair to grow at his jawline. He looked considerably older because of this.

     "Matt and Romelle would be here, too, but they're currently off-planet with the Blades on a war relief mission."

     "Kolivan..." Keith uncrossed his arms and spoke softly, "We lost him a while ago. I took over the Blade and we've become more of a humanitarian group. A bunch of wars have been springing up on nearby planets recently, so we've been trying to help them recover from their losses."

     "I know."

     "You... how could you possibly know that?"

     Allura's eyes fell. "The recent wars... They're exactly why Empress Honerva has sent me out here as a peacemaker. As you know, I've been treated rather well under the given circumstances, and I'm even the new heir to the throne. My time in Oriande has shown me that Honerva has truly redeemed herself. That being said, I beg of you all, especially you, Lance, to forgive her of her past wrongdoings for the sake of our people.  _My_  people."

     She gave a slight bow, as if greeting royalty, then righted herself.

     "I've come to ask for your help. We have evidence that Lotor is not only alive, but is planning an attack on Oriande to take back the Alteans. We have reason to believe these civil wars are being provoked by him, in an effort to weaken or compromise the integrity of any possible allies. Perhaps you may have noticed, but several peoples of the Voltron coalition have been targeted."

     She clasped her hands together. "As the princess of the Altean people, it is my duty to defend them. And I ask of you that Voltron would help me in that."

     The room fell silent. Many eyes looked to Lance. He'd never stopped expressing his bad blood with the witch. It came as a bit of a surprise to hear his decision.

 

     "Alright, so what's the plan? I'm gonna need a bit of an idea schedule-wise so I can fix up the JCs' schedule."

 

     Allura gave a grateful smile.

 

     "We'll need the Atlas for this expedition. And we'll have to leave for Oriande as soon as we can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all folks!  
> Actually, if enough people want it, I might write a sequel. I'm already almost done with the index for the story, and I'll be posting some extra chapters of the McClain vacation, the Plance proposal and much more as another work. The link is [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497944). It'll be mostly wholesome fluff.
> 
> The Fire Incident/Proposal they mentioned: [Here ya go!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497944/chapters/39360307)
> 
> BlandProtagonist, out.  
> Peace boiiiiis

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [T.O.W.I. Index](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16373534) by [BlandProtagonist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlandProtagonist/pseuds/BlandProtagonist)
  * [MORE Tales of Wartime Intermissions](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497944) by [BlandProtagonist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlandProtagonist/pseuds/BlandProtagonist)
  * [ToWI 2: Prodigal Sons](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16830772) by [BlandProtagonist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlandProtagonist/pseuds/BlandProtagonist)




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